Lost: A N’arth Chronicle

by Val Clark

Hi, I’m Shannon Mackay, Shazz to my friends.
I love singing, sword fighting and fantasy books, games, cosplay, movies, TV series... When I’m not singing, fighting, reading, watching or engaged in something fantasy I’m imagining it. I even dream fantasy.
That’s why, one night when this huge ball of lightning rolls over me and, next minute, I’m someplace (N’arth) and sometime else (2000 years in my future), I’m convinced I’m dreaming. One of my classic duel dreams where I fight the baddy and I win!
When I can’t sing, lose the duel, and don’t wake up after a really hard fall, I start to believe this old guy, Nuselmir.
He’s the one who brought me to N’arth. He says he’s a scientist from an advanced planet, destroyed by his brother Fircule, and now Fircule’s trying to destroy N’arth. He’s convinced that only one person can save this world, Princess Raylene. Big problem, some childhood trauma caused her to become mute and withdrawn. In desperation, Nuselmir put her genetic markers in a device called a Dron and used it to locate someone who looks like her and could impersonate her‒me and then swaps us. Oh, yeah, my Mum and Dad will love that.
So, he drags me to this other place, where toilet paper hasn’t been invented yet and expects me to be her. No way! Not my monkey! That is until I learn of Fircule’s Big Plan to Destroy the Universe. N’arth is just the beginning, Earth is next on his list. The sooner I do what I have to do, the sooner I can get back to Earth and warn it of Fircule’s plan.
The fantasy becomes reality but it’s not that easy. Nuselmir hasn’t got a plan. Just impersonate Raylene. Great. And there’s so much he doesn’t tell me, like why nobody likes Raylene. Not only have I been transported to a new place I’ve got no friends and I can’t sing. It’s tough, really tough. Except for the training with the sword, that I do pretty well at. BTW, Sword Master is not impressed when I searched the armoury and choose the king’s boyhood sword.
Things go from tough to unbearable when my ‘father’ King Alexander visits Nuselmir’s island keep and tries to get me killed—twice. Oh, and thanks Nuselmir but, if I die on N’arth that’s it. I’m dead. The king leaves the keep believing I’m dead and this is the thing that changes everybody’s mind about me. So, I don’t actually have friends, but I do have respect and loyalty from the servants and soldiers and this inspires me to look out for them.
If the king finds out I’m still alive...
I search maps and plans and eventually find a place for us all to escape to, a cave accessed through a secret passage that starts in my room. We barely get away before the king’s assassins strike.
Five of us. Me, of course. Yannah, my maid and Raylene’s childhood friend. Dieter, a bastard kitchen hand. Brghyn a humanoid alien. And an unconscious Nuselmir.
We can’t do anything to rouse Nuselmir and decide to find the Red One, a reclusive healer who might live near the Ridge, where Brghyn’s race live. It’s my idea to disguise ourselves and hopefully avoid detection on the road by the king’s soldiers.
The journey is fraught with danger and deprivation, but we eventually make it to the city of Pleth, where I meet a really old guy called Sim. In a soundproof room, he teaches me the Last Song, embeds a clear crystal in my sword, and dies.
Fircule must have heard the singing—which isn’t surprising because he’s the one who used a Dron to stop singing in the first place. He sends his mate Herlon to grab me, only I’m with Yannah this time, and takes us to Herlon’s Nodal Mines. We are three months in the mines where the task of killing the life source of N’arth nearly kills me.
Why do I obey Herlon?
How do we escape?
Do Brghyn, Dieter and Nuselmir find the Red One.
What happened to the real Raylene?
Why me?
Who saves N’arth?
Read The Lost to join me on my adventure and find the answers to these questions.

Genres: Fantasy

ebook

Published August 6, 2018

Reviews

[Kitty G Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

* This is one of the #SPFBO titles for this year's competition and I am reading it as a judge *

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one as it's told in a way that doesn't usually appeal to me. It starts as a fairly contemporary set up with a young girl who loves to sing and has a great life, but then she's whisked to a new planet and time to save a kingdom.
Personally, I didn't like the chatty and informal first section of the book too much, as contemporary/urban fantasy isn't usually a genre that appeals to me, but as the book goes on it becomes a lot more high fantasy.
I think the second half of the book felt a lot faster to me and I enjoyed that section best. I also liked the introduction of various other characters besides Shannon/Raylene as she, to me, was a little flat and quite whiney.
Overall, the concept is interesting and some of the plot twists I felt were good but I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters or enough unique elements to hook me into the story. It's by no means a bad book and it certainly has merit, but for me it wasn't my favourite in the batch unfortunately.
2.5*s which is 5/10 for #SPFBO.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. I am not normally a fan of fantasy, however I was drawn in by the characters, especially Shannon who was transported into a world quite alien to her. She showed strength, determination, fearlessness, resilience, and perseverance despite the odds. The author wrote very descriptively, using vivid imagery, which certainly helped me to visualise events in the story. Whether intentionally or not, there are also some very good life lessons in the story. Whilst written primarily for a young adult audience, this older “young at heart” reader, thoroughly enjoyed the story and at times got quite “lost” it it. I look forward to the sequel. Chris Sears

[Averil Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing fantasy loved itcant wait for your next book. Thank you.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading fantasy stories by authors with good imaginations, and Val Clark is one of those amazing authors. I enjoyed her novel Lost: A N’arth Chronicle. The action starts on page one, and the fantasy and adventure continues until the very last page. The characters become real, as I neared the end of the story I didn't want it to end. So I was thrilled to learn the fantasy will continue in book 2 of The N’arth Chronicle series. And I loved the sword!

[Mrm Selke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time getting lost in the world of N’arth. Val has done a wonderful job breathing life into a young woman called Shannon and the characters she comes to know. As a reader our eyes are opened to another world, medieval in nature yet advanced in technology with just a dose of appropriate magic. If book one was addictive and place to get lost in, then I look forward to finding out more in book 2.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got totally immersed in the story, to the extent that time in the real world just seemed to stand still. I read a good portion of this book while waiting for an appointment with someone who was over two hours late. The delay didn’t bother me one bit nor did I even realise the time because I was enjoying the story so much. I later went home and finished the book, not doing anything else - including cooking dinner and going to bed at a reasonable hour - because I enjoyed the story so much. That’s a sign of a good book. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Dianne Sakoua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was taken in at the very beginning and could not put the book down. A young girl gifted with singing is challenged to defend her life, and a foreign planet, where bravery, strength and courage with the sword were strengthened by matters of the heart; compassion and justice. It was good to be taken into a world where a heroine plots her way out of brutal danger and survives with her integrity intact. Bearing witness to the social class injustices brought about by a government blinded by hate and deception, our heroines and heroes take us on a journey of insight and growth, we see how deception operates and the consequences of its evil, and we see how courage, wit and determination brings survival in such circumstances. I found this book was action packed and intriguing.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to meet Val last year through a creative collaboration, in which I had a taster of one of her short stories, and which led to us swapping books. I sent Val one of my hand bound journals and she sent me a signed copy of Lost!

As things go, I’m a big fan of YA fiction and fantasy, so I was thrilled.
I can also say that I loved it!
Though the action began fairly quickly, the beginning does have a different feel to it, that had me wondering...however, once the story took hold and progressed, I was amazed by the world she has created. The characters are gutsy and as their back stories unfolded became more and more intriguing.
Definitely looking forward to the next book.

[Sam M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down. Interesting story and character development. Enjoyable fantasy.

[Joanne Sher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read. An enjoyable fantasy book with interesting characters that kept me engaged.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your book kept me company during sickness and insomnia. Such a good read!
Can’t wait to read the second one!