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Book of Never #7
Spectre
Darkness is gathering deep within the land of Vadiya as the Red Seed Cult perform twisted experiments on human flesh.
Never has already tangled with the foul creatures and knows no-one else can stop them... but if he charges into enemy territory now, he will have to face old flame Sacha, who has promised to kill him should they meet again.
Yet when he learns that she has been captured by the creatures he sets out with unlikely allies on a quest to uncover the truth behind the cult and hopefully save – and then survive – Sacha.
Never has already tangled with the foul creatures and knows no-one else can stop them... but if he charges into enemy territory now, he will have to face old flame Sacha, who has promised to kill him should they meet again.
Yet when he learns that she has been captured by the creatures he sets out with unlikely allies on a quest to uncover the truth behind the cult and hopefully save – and then survive – Sacha.
- GenresFantasy
154 pages, Unknown Binding
Published May 17, 2019
11 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Capes
76 books576 followersAshley is a poet, novelist and ex-teacher living in Australia.
He taught English, Media and Music Production, played in a metal band, worked in an art gallery and slaved away at music retail. Aside from reading and writing, Ashley loves volleyball and Studio Ghibli – and Magnum PI, easily one of the greatest television shows ever made.
See poetry and fiction at http://ashleycapes.com/
He taught English, Media and Music Production, played in a metal band, worked in an art gallery and slaved away at music retail. Aside from reading and writing, Ashley loves volleyball and Studio Ghibli – and Magnum PI, easily one of the greatest television shows ever made.
See poetry and fiction at http://ashleycapes.com/
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 5, 2019
When Andramir arrived at Never’s side with Temilo, their news wasn’t what Never wanted to hear. Lady Sacha, whom Never had a past with, had been captured by the Red Seed Cult. Their experiments on human flesh was turning people to creatures – not human nor animal, but an evil mix of both – the stakolin. Would Sacha be their next victim, or was she dead already?
Never set off with Father Lakiva and Temilo to the Telkash Forests where Sacha had been captured. His hope of her rescue was high; he was sure he could succeed with the Amouni blood running through his veins. But the deeper they ventured into enemy territory, the more dangers they faced. Would Never be able to rid Vadiya of the Red Seed Cult and save the innocents who’d been captured?
Spectre is the 7th in the Book of Never Series by Aussie author Ashley Capes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast paced, action packed speculative fiction – Never’s story has grown well. I’m looking forward to #8, "Throne of Leaves", when it’s published in the near future. Highly recommended. (The Book of Never series is one which should be read in order of publication)
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Never set off with Father Lakiva and Temilo to the Telkash Forests where Sacha had been captured. His hope of her rescue was high; he was sure he could succeed with the Amouni blood running through his veins. But the deeper they ventured into enemy territory, the more dangers they faced. Would Never be able to rid Vadiya of the Red Seed Cult and save the innocents who’d been captured?
Spectre is the 7th in the Book of Never Series by Aussie author Ashley Capes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast paced, action packed speculative fiction – Never’s story has grown well. I’m looking forward to #8, "Throne of Leaves", when it’s published in the near future. Highly recommended. (The Book of Never series is one which should be read in order of publication)
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2019
Maybe that's why he's called Never...?
"Turn back, Father, a beast is loose and not even a man of God can stand before it".
Never just doesn't quit and he's rarely too morose to laugh at his own situation. It seems he will always find another problem to solve and another bad joke to crack. I, for one, am delighted. Despite all his trials, he always leaves me with a wonderfully hopeful feeling, even after I've turned the last page. I'll be looking forward to visiting him again.
"Turn back, Father, a beast is loose and not even a man of God can stand before it".
Never just doesn't quit and he's rarely too morose to laugh at his own situation. It seems he will always find another problem to solve and another bad joke to crack. I, for one, am delighted. Despite all his trials, he always leaves me with a wonderfully hopeful feeling, even after I've turned the last page. I'll be looking forward to visiting him again.
February 22, 2021
Waiting for more.
Once again a outstanding read. Love Ashely Caps writing style. Fast pace an action at every turn. Never is one hell of character . How about you find him a love interest???. Thanks again for a great read.
Once again a outstanding read. Love Ashely Caps writing style. Fast pace an action at every turn. Never is one hell of character . How about you find him a love interest???. Thanks again for a great read.
June 11, 2019
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
It’s been some time since I read Never’s last adventure and it took me a little while to find my bearings again in this story fashioned in equal parts out of a series of adventures, in a world where magic takes strange and weird forms, and of the main character’s quest to learn about his past and the heritage from his now- extinct and legendary forefathers. Once I did, though, the narrative flew quickly, carried by a very appealing premise.
In Spectre our hero is not facing the “simple” turmoil of warring factions bent on controlling territory, as it happened in past adventures, but rather the dire menace of a cult bent on the horrifying transformation of hapless victims – think Island of Doctor Moreau and you will have an idea of what I’m talking about. And this time the stakes are quite high, because he needs to save a young boy from the cult’s clutches and to prevent and old… well, frenemy is the best term that comes to mind, from succumbing to the vile alteration.
As usual Never is able to find valid allies in his endeavors, and this time the person who shares this portion of his journey is an intriguing one, the unassuming priest Lakiva: not unlike a warrior monk, the young man carries on with self-effacing modesty, only to exhibit amazing abilities when necessity arises. This combination quickly endeared him to me and often brought a smile to my face.
That smile was more than necessary, because Spectre is one of the darkest adventures Never faced until now, rife with a sense of impending doom and a relentlessly ticking clock, culminating in a harrowing confrontation that blends a heated battle with an authentic descent into Hell that kept me on the edge of my seat, especially because in this case even our hero’s remarkable powers and stamina seemed to be inadequate to the task at hand.
And of course it does not end here, because a new threat looms on the horizon at the end of the novella, promising more intriguing adventures…
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
It’s been some time since I read Never’s last adventure and it took me a little while to find my bearings again in this story fashioned in equal parts out of a series of adventures, in a world where magic takes strange and weird forms, and of the main character’s quest to learn about his past and the heritage from his now- extinct and legendary forefathers. Once I did, though, the narrative flew quickly, carried by a very appealing premise.
In Spectre our hero is not facing the “simple” turmoil of warring factions bent on controlling territory, as it happened in past adventures, but rather the dire menace of a cult bent on the horrifying transformation of hapless victims – think Island of Doctor Moreau and you will have an idea of what I’m talking about. And this time the stakes are quite high, because he needs to save a young boy from the cult’s clutches and to prevent and old… well, frenemy is the best term that comes to mind, from succumbing to the vile alteration.
As usual Never is able to find valid allies in his endeavors, and this time the person who shares this portion of his journey is an intriguing one, the unassuming priest Lakiva: not unlike a warrior monk, the young man carries on with self-effacing modesty, only to exhibit amazing abilities when necessity arises. This combination quickly endeared him to me and often brought a smile to my face.
That smile was more than necessary, because Spectre is one of the darkest adventures Never faced until now, rife with a sense of impending doom and a relentlessly ticking clock, culminating in a harrowing confrontation that blends a heated battle with an authentic descent into Hell that kept me on the edge of my seat, especially because in this case even our hero’s remarkable powers and stamina seemed to be inadequate to the task at hand.
And of course it does not end here, because a new threat looms on the horizon at the end of the novella, promising more intriguing adventures…
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
May 18, 2019
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Never, so I’m glad to be back. He is facing a mightier foe than usual, but he is up to the task. One of the reasons I really like this series is Never’s steadfastness and calmness in the face of adversity. He is kind and loyal, and he really shows these qualities in this latest installment. I generally don’t read much in this genre, but this character draws me back every time. Give this series a try if you like well-written characters, great plots, and wonderful descriptions. I highly recommend this book and was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.
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February 19, 2024April Update:
A new blurb is up :)
First draft finished the other day - taking a break from this one to come back to it with fresh eyes for first round of editing :)
A new blurb is up :)
First draft finished the other day - taking a break from this one to come back to it with fresh eyes for first round of editing :)
September 21, 2021
Wow Spectre is one of the most fantastically darkest adventures Never has faced until now, absolutley amazing, after thinking this was the last book in the series, we are going to get more adventures with Never and his companions, I can't believe I have to wait for book eight, the bloody cheek...😁 this book is rife with a sense of impending doom and a relentlessly ticking clock, culminating in a harrowing confrontation that blends a heated battle with an authentic descent into hell that kept me hanging on the edge of my seat, In book seven our hero is not facing the simple turmoil of warring factions bent on controlling territory, as it happened in Never's past adventures, but now he is dealing with the dire menace of a cult bent on the horrifying transformation of their hapless victims, and this time the stakes are quite high, because he needs to save a young boy from the cult’s clutches and from letting him succumb to the vile alteration, damn the worldbuilding, plot and setting will blow your mind, a fantastic array of characters that you will fall in love with from the very start, and of course it does not end here, woohoo, Joshua Macrea has give his all for the last seven books, I don't I could listen to it being read by anyone else, he has done fantastic job, if you're a lover of epic fantasy and just some good oul awesome reading, I highly recommend....😁⚔
January 11, 2021
Another excellent read
If you haven’t been following the story of ‘Never’ you should, just make sure to start at the beginning. If you have followed Never’s story you know him to be clever, often luckier than he should be, honorable, and someone who will always come to the aid of others. Never has been on a quest to find answers about why he is who he is, find, and in one case, deal with siblings, and try to undue the results of his father’s evil actions. But Never has always been one step behind, always playing ‘catch up’. In this addition to Never’s story he begins to realize that there is a lot he doesn’t know, and that he can no longer be just one man seeking his way in the world. An evil has been loosed on his world that is beyond Never’s abilities alone. Never must take on a much different role and learn to find and work with allies. Never has avoided his heritage, and that lack is about to come due.
I highly recommend this series as enjoyable, entertaining, and promoting honorable qualities and personal growth.
If you haven’t been following the story of ‘Never’ you should, just make sure to start at the beginning. If you have followed Never’s story you know him to be clever, often luckier than he should be, honorable, and someone who will always come to the aid of others. Never has been on a quest to find answers about why he is who he is, find, and in one case, deal with siblings, and try to undue the results of his father’s evil actions. But Never has always been one step behind, always playing ‘catch up’. In this addition to Never’s story he begins to realize that there is a lot he doesn’t know, and that he can no longer be just one man seeking his way in the world. An evil has been loosed on his world that is beyond Never’s abilities alone. Never must take on a much different role and learn to find and work with allies. Never has avoided his heritage, and that lack is about to come due.
I highly recommend this series as enjoyable, entertaining, and promoting honorable qualities and personal growth.
April 21, 2020
Good book in the series. Needed a little more editing as there were a lot more typos than in the previous books.
May 24, 2020
This book was over too soon!!
I looked up and the book was finished. Great continuation of the series and left me ready for the next installment. Bring it on!
I looked up and the book was finished. Great continuation of the series and left me ready for the next installment. Bring it on!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews