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Tales of Gorania #2
Queen of Rebels
One girl loses her family. An entire kingdom is going to pay.
While Masolon seeks a new start in his peaceful exile, he finds himself trapped in a horrendous civil war devastating the Bermanian realm. A murdered girl from his village awakens his dormant demon, provoking him to defy the rebels and their bloodthirsty queen who will do whatever it takes to claim the Bermanian throne. Whatever it takes; like for instance, erasing a whole village from existence.
Against a titanic army of seasoned soldiers, Masolon has to defend his village with a bunch of gullible peasants. In a battle he can never win, his death could be the only way to spare the lives of hundreds. But it might unleash what the ancient Tales of Gorania have been warning about since the beginning of time.
While Masolon seeks a new start in his peaceful exile, he finds himself trapped in a horrendous civil war devastating the Bermanian realm. A murdered girl from his village awakens his dormant demon, provoking him to defy the rebels and their bloodthirsty queen who will do whatever it takes to claim the Bermanian throne. Whatever it takes; like for instance, erasing a whole village from existence.
Against a titanic army of seasoned soldiers, Masolon has to defend his village with a bunch of gullible peasants. In a battle he can never win, his death could be the only way to spare the lives of hundreds. But it might unleash what the ancient Tales of Gorania have been warning about since the beginning of time.
- GenresFantasy
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 18, 2018
34 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Karim Soliman
21 books140 followersكريم سليمان من مواليد القاهرة 1984، تخرج فى كلية الصيدلة بجامعة عين شمس، وحصل على ماجيستير إدارة الأعمال بالجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة. بدأ مشواره الروائى بقصة قصيرة كانت جزءا من الحملة الدعائية لـ
(Sony Pictures)
لفيلمهم
(The 5th Wave).
نشر العديد من روايات الخيال العلمى والفانتازى باللغة الإنجليزية، أبرزها
(The Warrior's Path)،
والتى كانت من الأكثر مبيعا على أمازون، وأيضًا
(Army of the Cursed)
والتى تأهلت إلى نصف نهائى مسابقة
SPFBO
السنوية التى تدار تحت إشراف الكاتب العالمى مارك لورنس.
Karim Soliman earned his first writing commission through his contribution to the first and last issue of his school magazine. Twenty years later, he earned his next commission from Sony Pictures.
While he holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a master’s in business administration, Karim finds his groove in building worlds and messing with his characters. His debut “The Warrior’s Path” was a #1 bestseller on several fantasy subgenres on Amazon, and his book "Army of the Cursed" was an SPFBO Semi-finalist.
When Karim is away from writing, he struggles with his insomnia and continues his search for his next favorite dessert.
(Sony Pictures)
لفيلمهم
(The 5th Wave).
نشر العديد من روايات الخيال العلمى والفانتازى باللغة الإنجليزية، أبرزها
(The Warrior's Path)،
والتى كانت من الأكثر مبيعا على أمازون، وأيضًا
(Army of the Cursed)
والتى تأهلت إلى نصف نهائى مسابقة
SPFBO
السنوية التى تدار تحت إشراف الكاتب العالمى مارك لورنس.
Karim Soliman earned his first writing commission through his contribution to the first and last issue of his school magazine. Twenty years later, he earned his next commission from Sony Pictures.
While he holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a master’s in business administration, Karim finds his groove in building worlds and messing with his characters. His debut “The Warrior’s Path” was a #1 bestseller on several fantasy subgenres on Amazon, and his book "Army of the Cursed" was an SPFBO Semi-finalist.
When Karim is away from writing, he struggles with his insomnia and continues his search for his next favorite dessert.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 29, 2018
Mysterious, fearsome, misunderstood and quite possibly one of the best written heroes out there, Masolon must stand against one of the land’s most powerful armies with only a ragtag group of peasants at his back. Like David against Goliath, the odds appear stacked against them until an unlikely alliance with the QUEEN OF REBELS help to turn the tide. But what will it cost Masolon? It seems he was never meant to live in peace from both the world and the demon within.
Karim Soliman’s chaotic Tales of Gorania series has just gotten one book better and Masolon has become even more of an epic hero! This maze of action, war and adventure hits the ground running and never lets up. Brilliant battle scenes, espionage, political machinations and a kaleidoscope of characters light up each page! Who can be trusted?
There is a feeling of real relationships between characters, even among tenuous alliances as swords flash, flames rage and heroes fall. I saw each well-detailed scene, felt the tension, and white-knuckled it through each battle.
If you like your heroes larger than life, a little mysterious and willing to stand like a rock against evil, I highly recommend this series! Not sure you are a historical fantasy reader? Masolon and Karim Soliman will change your mind!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Karim Soliman!
Series: Tales of Gorania - Book 2
Publication Date: October 18, 2018
Publisher: Karim Soliman
Genre: Fantasy | Action
Print Length: 322 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Karim Soliman’s chaotic Tales of Gorania series has just gotten one book better and Masolon has become even more of an epic hero! This maze of action, war and adventure hits the ground running and never lets up. Brilliant battle scenes, espionage, political machinations and a kaleidoscope of characters light up each page! Who can be trusted?
There is a feeling of real relationships between characters, even among tenuous alliances as swords flash, flames rage and heroes fall. I saw each well-detailed scene, felt the tension, and white-knuckled it through each battle.
If you like your heroes larger than life, a little mysterious and willing to stand like a rock against evil, I highly recommend this series! Not sure you are a historical fantasy reader? Masolon and Karim Soliman will change your mind!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Karim Soliman!
Series: Tales of Gorania - Book 2
Publication Date: October 18, 2018
Publisher: Karim Soliman
Genre: Fantasy | Action
Print Length: 322 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
September 15, 2018
What a worthy sequel to The Warriors Path. I found this book hard to put down I was enthralled from the beginning. Masolon continues his adventure and what a story it is. Masolon tried for the quiet life of which he most definitely was not suited. A Queen comes to reclaim her throne and Masolon helps her. Now I am going to have to wait till the next adventure to see what happens. Highly recommend.
September 26, 2018
"Your decision, milord." Masolon shrugged, gazing at the two faltering fronts at the left side of the wall. "But when the odds are not in your favor, avoiding risks is a luxury you cannot afford."
A well-structured plot and a generally good story. One of the largest problems I had with The Warrior's Path was its lack of a distinct plot structure. I found it to be missing the skeleton which it needed to support many of the events and motivations of the world and characters as it jumped between plot points with little to no rhyme or reason. I'm delighted to say that I don't have this problem with the structure of Queen of Rebels. This is a classic sort of tale about the few utilizing their wits and skills to overcome the many, and I was definitely interested.
Good character interaction and relationships. Masolon and Rona have a strange kind of chemistry, both of them headstrong, smart and driven. They come to care about each other in a pretty organic way throughout the whole book, despite their rough start. General Gramus is a prideful man with a singular purpose, more or less, in protecting Rona and helping her reclaim her throne. His feuding with Masolon in the first part of the book adds a sort of tense air to their interactions later on, and a source of struggle for Rona as she tries to balance things with both of them. This made for interesting, layered conflict inside of our main cast.
I was glad to see Frankil and Antram and Ziyad again. I really felt some excitement, even, when they showed up. It's always fun to see familiar faces, and watching the friendly, relaxed way Masolon interacts with them shows good contrast to the arguments and fights he has with many other characters throughout. I enjoy many of the side characters and the different opinions and experiences they confront each other with...
So why just three stars?
While I enjoy many things about this novel, and I absolutely love watching the story and characters grow and progress from what they were in the first book, I simply cannot ignore its most glaring issue:
Poorly written prose. A flaw that it shares with the previous installment in this series, and one of the only flaws in which I haven't seen some sort of improvement between books. The writing is genuinely hard to parse a great deal of the time. There are so many clunky sentences, misplaced adverbs, and strangely worded descriptions, that I genuinely struggled to stay immersed in the story a great deal of the time.
This is truly disappointing to me, as I felt the story and characters showed very solid improvement, and I really wanted to lose myself in this world. I would try to fix sentences in my head as I read them, forcing the words to make sense as best I could, but the effort still dragged me out of the world of Queen of Rebels and back into reality in a pretty jarring manner. An unfortunate thing, for the method through which all information is conveyed to often be as disruptive and confusing as a city bus driving through a beautiful fairy tale ballroom.
Final thoughts
While I could not ignore the issues with the writing, and those issues have absolutely influenced my overall rating, I must say that this story did pique my interest. There is so much potential here. I was fully engaged in discovering how Masolon and Rona would get out of the corners they were forced into, and I often couldn't foresee how they would manage to overcome their obstacles. The minor characters have distinct personalities which really helped me to distinguish one from another.
The battles are described with a real sense of weight and I could feel the passage of time as they were fought. I liked the information about each country included at the end, as I'm a sucker for lore, and it also helps to further solidify the world building. I have seen so much improvement, and it has been a pleasure to watch this story begin to better realize itself.
I can truly and sincerely say that when I manage to look past the flaws in the writing, I enjoy this story and these characters, and I'm interested in how both are evolving as Karim continues to improve.
"Yesterday a prisoner, today a commander, and tomorrow who knows?"
October 4, 2018
Another wonderful and action packed adventure in Gorania! Story picks up with Rona fighting to her rightful place as queen and runs in Masolon trying, poorly to be a husband. This books is fast paced and plenty of action. Once I started reading it was very difficult to put down. Don't know if I will ever tire of reading of Masolon's story. He's well written and a character you can't help but like. Thoroughly enjoyed Queen of Rebels and now I'll be on the edge waiting for the next book in the series!
October 26, 2018
We started Book 1 in the desert, and we open Book 2 in probably the coldest place in the whole of Karim's world. This might be a weird way to start my review, but I couldn't help comparing the two prologues, as the second reminded me of the first one, even in this different setting.
Those aren't the only similarities.
The writing style I enjoyed so much in The Warrior's Path is replicated in its sequel. There's just something very engaging in the way this author writes, making me pause to daydream.
I was looking forward to the first chapter centered around Masolon (which was Chapter 4 in the book), but I was not bored before that time came. However... There are certain things that Masolon does in this book, at the very beginning, that rubbed me the wrong way. He's usually careful - years of experience fighting have thought him to be so - but he did something that put a lot of people at risk. For me, this didn't go well with his character and seemed as if it was put there simply to set the story in motion.
Another complaint I have is that in a few scenes involving fighting, I got kind of lost. Or more like I lost track of the characters. For example, it seemed that they were away from each other and in the next paragraph they were face to face and I somehow missed how they got that way. I did get an ARC of this book, so maybe these scenes were fixed in the final edit.
But apart from a few scenes, the book was really good, and I'm glad I got to see what happened after the first one. The world is still an interesting place, and we have a new character - the Queen of rebels, who I found very interesting indeed, especially when you consider how much she's taken on at such a young age.
Before I end my review, I'd like to mention that this book has something which I consider essential for Fantasy novels: a map. Several, in fact. Not only do we get to see the whole of Gorania before the Prologue, but we are also treated to maps and a little bit of information on the different kingdoms - along with a list of characters from each kingdom - at the end of the novel.
I'd recommend Queen of Rebels to lovers of adventure and war, and especially to readers who've enjoyed the first book.
My rating: 4.5/5
Those aren't the only similarities.
The writing style I enjoyed so much in The Warrior's Path is replicated in its sequel. There's just something very engaging in the way this author writes, making me pause to daydream.
I was looking forward to the first chapter centered around Masolon (which was Chapter 4 in the book), but I was not bored before that time came. However... There are certain things that Masolon does in this book, at the very beginning, that rubbed me the wrong way. He's usually careful - years of experience fighting have thought him to be so - but he did something that put a lot of people at risk. For me, this didn't go well with his character and seemed as if it was put there simply to set the story in motion.
Another complaint I have is that in a few scenes involving fighting, I got kind of lost. Or more like I lost track of the characters. For example, it seemed that they were away from each other and in the next paragraph they were face to face and I somehow missed how they got that way. I did get an ARC of this book, so maybe these scenes were fixed in the final edit.
But apart from a few scenes, the book was really good, and I'm glad I got to see what happened after the first one. The world is still an interesting place, and we have a new character - the Queen of rebels, who I found very interesting indeed, especially when you consider how much she's taken on at such a young age.
Before I end my review, I'd like to mention that this book has something which I consider essential for Fantasy novels: a map. Several, in fact. Not only do we get to see the whole of Gorania before the Prologue, but we are also treated to maps and a little bit of information on the different kingdoms - along with a list of characters from each kingdom - at the end of the novel.
I'd recommend Queen of Rebels to lovers of adventure and war, and especially to readers who've enjoyed the first book.
My rating: 4.5/5
October 27, 2018
For a while, Masolon has tried to live a quiet life, attempting to forget about both the demon possessing him and the memories of Sania that just won't go away. He's found himself a village to settle down in and a girl to settle down with, trying to put his past behind him. But things do not stay quiet for long. What begins with a murdered girl found in the woods soon has Masolon pitting his fellow villagers against an army before being thrust into an entirely unexpected role in the civil war unfolding on his doorstep. After twelve years in exile, Rona, rightful Queen of Bermania, has returned at the head of an army. She will do whatever it takes to reclaim her throne and avenge her murdered family. Faced with overwhelming odds and betrayal in her own camp, she needs all the help she can get - even if it comes in form of an insolent, arrogant, disrespectful bastard who just so happens to be a brilliant warrior who might be able to turn the tide for her rebel forces.
Compared to the first book, the plotting is tighter and the pace less uneven. There is a clearer story arc this time, with the pieces the reader experiences from (for the most part) three distinct POVs smoothly welding together into an engaging tale that hooked me early on. However, the main issue I had with the previous book, namely the fact that I never much cared for its protagonist, is still very much present in the sequel. In fact, I think I disliked Masolon's character even more in this one. Rona, on the other, was exactly the tough, resourceful, and yet likable female character I missed in the first book, making it little surprising that her POV chapters were the most enjoyable for me. I wish we could have done without that developing romance subplot (or the two of them getting wasted and ending up in bed together - was that really necessary?) though... Can we not have a strong female character without making her Masolon's newest love interest? Either way, the book once again ended on a very interesting note, throwing in a couple of twists in the final chapter and epilogue that leave me sufficiently intrigued to be looking forward to the next part.
*** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ***
Compared to the first book, the plotting is tighter and the pace less uneven. There is a clearer story arc this time, with the pieces the reader experiences from (for the most part) three distinct POVs smoothly welding together into an engaging tale that hooked me early on. However, the main issue I had with the previous book, namely the fact that I never much cared for its protagonist, is still very much present in the sequel. In fact, I think I disliked Masolon's character even more in this one. Rona, on the other, was exactly the tough, resourceful, and yet likable female character I missed in the first book, making it little surprising that her POV chapters were the most enjoyable for me. I wish we could have done without that developing romance subplot (or the two of them getting wasted and ending up in bed together - was that really necessary?) though... Can we not have a strong female character without making her Masolon's newest love interest? Either way, the book once again ended on a very interesting note, throwing in a couple of twists in the final chapter and epilogue that leave me sufficiently intrigued to be looking forward to the next part.
*** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ***
April 9, 2019
I enjoyed reading this 2nd book from Karim.. it's well written, but there was some parts that I loved and others that I wished it went different... for example I loved the way he killed the soldiers who rapped the girl, but I wish he let the Rebel queen be raped before she killed the boy.. and Masolon fighting for her was pretty obvious from the moment he saved her. I personally think he should have left and then would come back to fight for her for a good reason, like the other army killed his one of his friends or something.
Also the Rabel queen was annoying in a few of the times.. she does thing her way even when people tell her not to do it. honestly, the entire time I was hopping she would cause the death of a few people close to her, get captured and be abused by a few soldiers the be saved by Masolon, maybe than she would stop acting like spoiled little queen.
But I really enjoyed it.. I even read the book in 2 days...
Now I want to see what next will happen.. I hope he let's the demon out.. cause no body likes a goody 2 shoes... all humans have darkness within.. the best stories are one's close to reality... and the human history is full of war, death, rape and evil..
Also the Rabel queen was annoying in a few of the times.. she does thing her way even when people tell her not to do it. honestly, the entire time I was hopping she would cause the death of a few people close to her, get captured and be abused by a few soldiers the be saved by Masolon, maybe than she would stop acting like spoiled little queen.
But I really enjoyed it.. I even read the book in 2 days...
Now I want to see what next will happen.. I hope he let's the demon out.. cause no body likes a goody 2 shoes... all humans have darkness within.. the best stories are one's close to reality... and the human history is full of war, death, rape and evil..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2019
I was graciously given an advance readers’ copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Here goes:
Oof! I so didn’t want this book to end! I loved the fast paced drama that Masolon has to find ways to navigate. I found myself rooting for Masolon and Rona throughout, and my husband had to make sure I was all right when I growled with frustration at certain difficult characters. This book has it all- adventure, romance, intrigue, and fierce battles. Those battles again were just beautifully written. And as an improvement on the last book, I felt like I could really sympathize with the characters. Note that the first book has some HEFTY character development. But this one? You see development anongst almost all of the characters, and moreover you get to listen in to varying rationales, which truly helps with finding a shared mentality with characters I wouldn’t normally .. appreciate. I honestly found this book far more intriguing and addicting than the first and can not wait for the next! Please don’t leave us waiting for long, Mr. Soliman!
Here goes:
Oof! I so didn’t want this book to end! I loved the fast paced drama that Masolon has to find ways to navigate. I found myself rooting for Masolon and Rona throughout, and my husband had to make sure I was all right when I growled with frustration at certain difficult characters. This book has it all- adventure, romance, intrigue, and fierce battles. Those battles again were just beautifully written. And as an improvement on the last book, I felt like I could really sympathize with the characters. Note that the first book has some HEFTY character development. But this one? You see development anongst almost all of the characters, and moreover you get to listen in to varying rationales, which truly helps with finding a shared mentality with characters I wouldn’t normally .. appreciate. I honestly found this book far more intriguing and addicting than the first and can not wait for the next! Please don’t leave us waiting for long, Mr. Soliman!
November 6, 2018
Another great installment in this series! Masolon has changed from warrior to married man at the beginning of this book. The only thing is that there’s trouble in paradise. There’s no fooling Doly that he hides much of his past and maybe even who he truly is. Masolon is a warrior at heart. It’s what he does best. Being married and settled is much more difficult for him. And no matter how hard he tries to defend the people, they find fault with him. They don’t like this or that. But I find in him a man that is willing to give and sacrifice much for others. He has retained that “heart for the people” aura from book 1. Then Rona comes into the picture. I’m not always crazy about her but at the end I definitely came around to her side. As for the demon Masolon carries, apparently there’s much more going on than I ever expected. I couldn’t help but wonder if I should be intrigued by the idea or maybe horrified. Perhaps a bit of both. This whole last day prophecy looms over the book like a shadow and I am curious what exactly it is. Another great warrior tale!
December 31, 2018
A great sequel to The Warrior’s Path. I found myself greatly enjoying reading about Masolon again and his next adventure. I loved the first book in the series and found this next installment to be even more enjoyable.
Once again, Masolon is a great protagonist to read about. He is brave and noble but still has faults and internal conflicts making him an interesting character to read about. I enjoy and appreciate the many different cultures and lands of the book, making it more unique and dynamic.
There is a great balance to the story. There is a good amount of different points of views throughout the novel to provide you with a better understanding of what is going on. There is a good balance between dialogue and action.
The plot structure of this novel I think improved greatly compared to the first novel (not that the first one was bad or anything). The plot just seemed to flow better and had a more comprehensive and complete storyline. Which means that if there continues to be improvement, then I am very much excited for the next installment of this series!
Once again, Masolon is a great protagonist to read about. He is brave and noble but still has faults and internal conflicts making him an interesting character to read about. I enjoy and appreciate the many different cultures and lands of the book, making it more unique and dynamic.
There is a great balance to the story. There is a good amount of different points of views throughout the novel to provide you with a better understanding of what is going on. There is a good balance between dialogue and action.
The plot structure of this novel I think improved greatly compared to the first novel (not that the first one was bad or anything). The plot just seemed to flow better and had a more comprehensive and complete storyline. Which means that if there continues to be improvement, then I am very much excited for the next installment of this series!
October 15, 2018
Very good from start to finish and to think it started because a girl was raped in this small village. Masolon to the rescue to defend the village and all hell breaks loose. Great read. There has to be a part III. Can't wait.
I recommend this book to everyone, especially if you read The Warrior's Path.
I recommend this book to everyone, especially if you read The Warrior's Path.
October 28, 2018
Excellent second in the series
I was looking forward to picking up this storyline and I was not disappointed. I'm curious to see how the characters will mesh together from the first and second books. They are two totally different sets of characters. The crossover should be interesting. I am enjoying the series and look forward to reading the next. I can recommend. Gbash
I was looking forward to picking up this storyline and I was not disappointed. I'm curious to see how the characters will mesh together from the first and second books. They are two totally different sets of characters. The crossover should be interesting. I am enjoying the series and look forward to reading the next. I can recommend. Gbash
January 22, 2022
A MUST READ!!!
I finally got back into my account and have binge read this... an AMAZING series so far and by far one of my favorites!!!
I finally got back into my account and have binge read this... an AMAZING series so far and by far one of my favorites!!!
December 18, 2020
Once again we follow the adventures of Masolon. A medevil warrior who tries to help a village of peasants and ends up helping a king’s daughter attempt to reclaim the throne. Lots of sword fighting and battle action as well as romance. Great fun read and very hard to put down.
April 26, 2019
4.25 stars
The sequel was quite good. It reads away very easily and the story stays interesting.
I definitely enjoy it but just like with the previous book I feel that the world building could be a bit more extensive. We still know barely anything about the world or the history of it. Just scattered pieces.
The sequel was quite good. It reads away very easily and the story stays interesting.
I definitely enjoy it but just like with the previous book I feel that the world building could be a bit more extensive. We still know barely anything about the world or the history of it. Just scattered pieces.
April 2, 2019
Another good book by Karim. I actually liked this book better than #1 because it was more focused and we got to know the characters better. Already started book#3!
September 27, 2019
More coherent than the first book.
Read
September 2, 2020Great second instalment
The second book seamlessly continues the story from the first book. The characters are still fun and the action is still entertaining. Well worth a read
The second book seamlessly continues the story from the first book. The characters are still fun and the action is still entertaining. Well worth a read
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews