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Shadowblade: Book 1 - The Beginning
A cynical and sometimes abrupt seventeen year old, Ysabell is bored of her life in the small farming community where she works as a barmaid. She dreams of a life of adventure. A strange elven trader, staying in the village tavern on his way to the city, becomes the catalyst for change in her life. She sets out on a journey that teaches her of loss, true sacrifice, heroism, bravery and why we should be careful what we wish for. Ysabell earns a reputation for determination against the odds. She leads her small group of companions, each with their own unique quirks and troubles, through battles, ambushes, and the depths of the abyss. The stakes couldn’t be higher, legions of demons and hordes of goblins descend upon Carraigbán City. She must overcome her own insecurities, redefine her views on right and wrong. She must learn to control her anger and come to terms with her loss if she is to have any chance of surviving... if she is to have any chance of preventing an apocalypse that seeks to destroy far more than just one city.
321 pages, Paperback
Published August 3, 2018
3 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Conor Newman
1 book23 followersConor D Newman was born in Cork, Ireland in 1978. He has worked as a tour guide (Hated it), he has worked in a music shop (Loved it), as a barman (Hated it), was a 'musician' in a boyband (Cringe), was a professional musician (in a folk band), a Quality Auditor (BORING), an IT Manager (Yawn) and is now an author and photographer (YAY).
He published his first Novel (Shadowblade, The Beginning) in 2018 on Amazon. You should totally buy it.
He lives in a den of estrogen, with his wife, two of his 3 daughters and his all female menagerie of animals. He dreams of a future where you all buy his books and he's fabulously rich.
He published his first Novel (Shadowblade, The Beginning) in 2018 on Amazon. You should totally buy it.
He lives in a den of estrogen, with his wife, two of his 3 daughters and his all female menagerie of animals. He dreams of a future where you all buy his books and he's fabulously rich.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 5, 2019
Have you ever wanted to simply escape from your current reality? Perhaps weary of the daily struggles and tedious monotony? Instead, throwing caution to the wind and choosing an entirely different path. To abandon the usual comforts of life in order to make such a bold move takes loads of courage and determination. Something which natural leaders are born with. In his novel Shadowblade, author Conor Newman introduces just such an individual. An excellent reading selection for those searching for an action packed fantasy ride... which is driven by a female lead whose character actually personifies courage and determination.
The novel follows the exploits of a young seventeen year old girl named Ysabell. We first meet her in a rural village where she is working as the local barmaid. Ysabell has grown frustrated with constantly cleaning up after all the local drunks and fending off their constant advances. She longs for something else which will allow an escape from such tedious monotony. As chance would have it, such a wish comes true in the form of a mysterious elven trader who arrives at the village. He soon convinces Ysabell that she is destined for greatness and together they leave the sleepy village and set off for an adventure. However, Ysabell is soon to find out that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. A huge goblin army has amassed under the control of a sinister leader whose ultimate goal is more deadly and evil than anyone can possibly imagine. First targeting Carraigbán City, the malevolent army leaves a virtual path of destruction in its wake. Ysabell quickly teams up with a small band of warriors whose main talents and skills not only complement one another- but may actually be the only hope for this world. How can an impulsive and inexperienced young girl possibly survive in such conditions? Will Ysabell truly discover the power and mettle which lies beneath her naive surface? Or is she, and the entire world destined for oblivion?
There can be little doubt that the major theme of Shadowblade is the classic good versus evil one. However, while that may indeed be the overriding motif, there are a number of secondary ideas which appear as well. Friendship, loyalty and coming of age, to name a few! All of this is contained within a story which is virtually non-stop action. Within this flurry of action and adventure we are able to witness relationships form, strengthen... and in some cases fall apart due to death and destruction. The reader becomes actively engaged in the various missions, ultimately feeling the thrill of victory and disappointment of defeat. A thrilling book which allows the reader to escape their own life for a little while and enter into an imaginative world of adventure.
While the plot of the novel is quite well developed- so are the characters. They are interesting, provocative and memorable. Not your typical "hero" type of characters who effortlessly ride in to save the day! Instead, the main players in the story have their own unique strengths and flaws. They are by no means perfect and this is what makes them believable for the reader. As the main protagonist we most assuredly see the most growth in Ysabell. While she begins the tale as a bored and cynical teenager, she morphs into something far more heroic by the end. It is great to see such a strong female lead take over a book.
Author Conor Newman also does a masterful job in depicting his story world. To become adequately entrenched in the story, the reader should be able to visualize the fantasy world. It needs to be believable. It should be described in some depth in order to accomplish this goal, but not so much that the description becomes tedious. Newman achieves this balance and is able to do a great job at capturing and holding the reader's interest.
All in all I would highly recommend this novel to adult fantasy lovers. It has a Lord of the Rings "flavor" to it- so if that is where your interest lies, you cannot really go wrong.
5 out of 5 Shadowy Stars for this one! *****
The novel follows the exploits of a young seventeen year old girl named Ysabell. We first meet her in a rural village where she is working as the local barmaid. Ysabell has grown frustrated with constantly cleaning up after all the local drunks and fending off their constant advances. She longs for something else which will allow an escape from such tedious monotony. As chance would have it, such a wish comes true in the form of a mysterious elven trader who arrives at the village. He soon convinces Ysabell that she is destined for greatness and together they leave the sleepy village and set off for an adventure. However, Ysabell is soon to find out that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. A huge goblin army has amassed under the control of a sinister leader whose ultimate goal is more deadly and evil than anyone can possibly imagine. First targeting Carraigbán City, the malevolent army leaves a virtual path of destruction in its wake. Ysabell quickly teams up with a small band of warriors whose main talents and skills not only complement one another- but may actually be the only hope for this world. How can an impulsive and inexperienced young girl possibly survive in such conditions? Will Ysabell truly discover the power and mettle which lies beneath her naive surface? Or is she, and the entire world destined for oblivion?
There can be little doubt that the major theme of Shadowblade is the classic good versus evil one. However, while that may indeed be the overriding motif, there are a number of secondary ideas which appear as well. Friendship, loyalty and coming of age, to name a few! All of this is contained within a story which is virtually non-stop action. Within this flurry of action and adventure we are able to witness relationships form, strengthen... and in some cases fall apart due to death and destruction. The reader becomes actively engaged in the various missions, ultimately feeling the thrill of victory and disappointment of defeat. A thrilling book which allows the reader to escape their own life for a little while and enter into an imaginative world of adventure.
While the plot of the novel is quite well developed- so are the characters. They are interesting, provocative and memorable. Not your typical "hero" type of characters who effortlessly ride in to save the day! Instead, the main players in the story have their own unique strengths and flaws. They are by no means perfect and this is what makes them believable for the reader. As the main protagonist we most assuredly see the most growth in Ysabell. While she begins the tale as a bored and cynical teenager, she morphs into something far more heroic by the end. It is great to see such a strong female lead take over a book.
Author Conor Newman also does a masterful job in depicting his story world. To become adequately entrenched in the story, the reader should be able to visualize the fantasy world. It needs to be believable. It should be described in some depth in order to accomplish this goal, but not so much that the description becomes tedious. Newman achieves this balance and is able to do a great job at capturing and holding the reader's interest.
All in all I would highly recommend this novel to adult fantasy lovers. It has a Lord of the Rings "flavor" to it- so if that is where your interest lies, you cannot really go wrong.
5 out of 5 Shadowy Stars for this one! *****
April 5, 2019
If you're an avid lover of Lord of the Rings (as I am) or any other stories that exist in that fantasy realm, then this one's for you! We start off with a map of the world that the author has built. I always love a map in the front of my books--it means there's going to be some awesome world-building. And there certainly is! We get great characters, like kick-ass Ysabell and many others. Goblins, druids, griffons, battles...everything is present to create a great fantasy story. Happy reading!
March 14, 2023
This book is amazing. Everyone should buy a hard copy or two, heck, buy them as gifts. The value is incredible.
*Disclaimer: I may be slightly biased as I wrote it
*Disclaimer: I may be slightly biased as I wrote it
June 18, 2019
In the best way possible, Conor Newman's 'Shadowblade: The Beginning' was like reading a classic Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Any fan of the Forgotten Realms, Pathfinder or other dungeon-exploring IPs will find themselves right at home on these pages, and like the story from start to finish.
The main character, up-and-coming adventure Ysabell, gets more than she bargained for when she leaves her backwater village in the company of a mysterious Elf. However, she faces her problems head on and picks up some deadly assassin skills/loot along the way. When the city she arrives at faces destruction, Ysabell teams up with a rag-tag group to save it. Her party members are fun takes on traditional fantasy tropes: the fiery Halfling with a lust for Goblin-killing, the debaucher Cleric, the mage with a tragic past, and the quiet, but powerful, Elven Druid. They have a difficult quest and only their diverse skills can get them through it.
If you enjoy Dragonlance, D&D or anything else along those lines, you'll enjoy Shadowblade and look forward to the sequel as I am.
The main character, up-and-coming adventure Ysabell, gets more than she bargained for when she leaves her backwater village in the company of a mysterious Elf. However, she faces her problems head on and picks up some deadly assassin skills/loot along the way. When the city she arrives at faces destruction, Ysabell teams up with a rag-tag group to save it. Her party members are fun takes on traditional fantasy tropes: the fiery Halfling with a lust for Goblin-killing, the debaucher Cleric, the mage with a tragic past, and the quiet, but powerful, Elven Druid. They have a difficult quest and only their diverse skills can get them through it.
If you enjoy Dragonlance, D&D or anything else along those lines, you'll enjoy Shadowblade and look forward to the sequel as I am.
May 27, 2019
A great book for fantasy lovers. Really vivid characters and a fun storyline that keeps you hooked. Can't wait for more! Don't worry, no spoilers. I would definitely recommend giving it a read.
October 5, 2018
This novel's got everything you'd hope for in a fantasy novel: A realistically thought out universe, a quest, challenging missions and a character who grows as a person and serves as a guide for the reader to help explore the world around her.
It's fast paced and well narrated and one of the things that positively separates this book from other fantasy novels (especially other books written by male writers) is that it features a number of incredibly well written and defined female characters.
Can't wait to read more about Ysabell and her further adventures.
It's fast paced and well narrated and one of the things that positively separates this book from other fantasy novels (especially other books written by male writers) is that it features a number of incredibly well written and defined female characters.
Can't wait to read more about Ysabell and her further adventures.
July 17, 2019
Waiting for the next book, this one was an excellent read!
July 8, 2019
I really enjoyed this first book of this adventure series. The characters are really likeable. It is a great adventure and despite being part of a series there was a good ‘ending’ that doesn’t make it feel too much like a ‘pause’.
My reason for not giving it 5* is mainly because I didn’t have that pull / desire to keep reading this that I get with other book (where when you’re not reading it you’re thinking about reading it). But I really would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy adventure stories.
My reason for not giving it 5* is mainly because I didn’t have that pull / desire to keep reading this that I get with other book (where when you’re not reading it you’re thinking about reading it). But I really would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy adventure stories.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews