The Legend of the Kestrel

The Sylvan Chronicles #1

by Peter Wacht

An only son, gifted with magic,Challenged to free a people threatened by an ancient evil.Will he be forced to risk everything in a battle against the forces of darkness?

Fleeing the only home he’s ever known, Thomas escapes a devastating attack on the Highlands and reaches the grandparents he’s never met – the only family he has left. Under their tutelage, Thomas discovers his magical powers and learns he’s the key to freeing his homeland and defeating a terrible foe – but taking up the challenge could cost him his life.

In order to defeat the Shadow Lord -- the malevolent being intent on killing him -- Thomas will require all his strength and wits. No matter the pain and sorrow, he must seek his fate with courage, even if it means dying at the hands of his enemy … or the loss of his very soul.

With the fate of his world hanging in the balance, will Thomas’ first battle be his last or can he beat back the night that threatens to envelop the Kingdoms?

The initial installment in an epic sword and sorcery saga, this thrilling, action-packed fantasy transports you to new heights with every page. Find out why fans are calling The Legend of the Kestrel “An entertaining read with great story telling!”

Buy your copy today and escape to a new world.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Adventure, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2019

About the author

Growing up in New York when I was a kid, I used to haunt the science fiction and fantasy bookstore in Yonkers, searching for the epic fantasy stories that I loved to read. When I exhausted all my options, I started writing my own stories, never realizing that one day I would publish them.

As you read my stories, you’ll notice certain themes and I like to carry them over from one book to the next. I always include adventure, humor, a few twists, a bunch of fights (magic and steel), and a little romance, along with a few good monsters. But for me it always starts with engaging characters. Because without characters who grow and change as they seek to overcome the challenges placed before them, as they seek to move forward, the story can’t move forward.

In particular, I like to focus on the reluctant hero, a man or a woman not seeking glory, but rather seeking to help others and challenge the evil plaguing the world – a world that I’ve created, The Realms of the Talent and the Curse. They need to learn how to believe in themselves before they can do what’s demanded of them. A personal journey that all of us experience, often more than once in our lifetimes, from lack of belief to belief in the self.

To learn more, check out the Amazon series pages for my current epic fantasy series -- The Sylvan Chronicles, The Tales of Caledonia, and The Tales of the Territories -- and my first foray into urban fantasy, The Fallen Knight Series. (Many of the books in these series have been or are Amazon #1 Bestsellers in various categories as well as #1 New Releases.)

And to download a free story, or join my newsletter for the latest news and releases, visit https://peterwachtbooks.com

Reviews

[XR · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an exciting start with Thomas avoiding assassins as a young kid. Then skipping five years, his day to day was a tad boring but necessary. My favourite part of all was Thomas gaining a wolf, Beluil as a companion. I freaking love wolves. The excitement came when Kaylie comes into the picture... which was towards the end of the book. I'm keen to see where this story goes.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just to preface this review, the author is a friend of my family and so I chose to pick up this book for that reason.

Overall, The Legend of the Kestrel is pretty middle of the road, not really great but certainly not the worst I’ve ever read in the YA fantasy genre, which is how I would classify this book. I’m pretty sure that this novel along with some of the later books were originally intended to be a single volume but ended up being split up and so this first installment is predominately world building and exposition. Thomas is somewhat underdeveloped as of yet, and he has very little personality beyond his interest in exploring his powers and then later immediately falling in love with the first cute girl he sees. Most of the other characters, especially the antagonists, are stereotypes of what you would expect their role to be. There’s really not much to say about The Legend of the Kestrel other than the plot starts to pick up a bit near the end, enough to pique my interest in possibly picking up the next book, we’ll have to see. I would recommend it for anyone with Kindle Unlimited as all the books are currently included with the subscription, but I was listening to the audiobook (I don’t recommend because the narrator is pretty monotone) and I don’t really want to spend money on the next one yet.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a lark. I just needed something to read and was looking through some suggested on Amazon.
I put it on the Kindle, but went off to read some other things.. those didn't pan out so I started reading Legend of the Kestrel.
I quickly found myself entranced, reading much later into the night than usual, not wanting to put it down. My usual habit is to read for 15-30 minutes before I go to sleep.. and the book should have taken a week or two to read.. instead it was 3 nights.
The story flows well, captures and holds your attention. Wacht draws you in and makes you want to know what happens next.. even when you can't keep your eyes open any longer.

Very well written, in a world that is well balanced in the magical/non-magical breakdown. Some familiarity to draw on in regards to the world, while still being it's own unique world...

[James Harwood-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assassins hunt. A young boy flees. Hidden among the hills, the training begins. The ways of weapons. Of beasts and magic.
Of a destiny against darkness.

Old school YA goodness! Some Belgariad vibes for sure. Entertaining and fun.

[Steve Naylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating 2.5 stars

I think there was a mistake when goodreads listed the genre's for this book by not adding YA. More than anything else that genre fits this book. The MC is the grandson of the lord of the highlands. The keep is attacked and the grandson is told to escape with the family sword, to grow stronger and remember he is the lord of the highlands now. He was 10 years old when he escaped. He escaped and found shelter with his mother's parents. His mother died shortly after he was born and he never knew that side of the family since they did not agree with her marrying his father. Fast forward 5 years and the boy is being taught how to fight and how to control the magical power (or talent) that he was born with.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a terrible job. His portrayal was monotone with almost no emotion. It was almost like listening to a computer, or the teacher from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Another problem I had is that nothing really happened We get some training sequences but not very detailed. Hardly any action. Even the assassin that was sent after the boy was killed in less than 30 seconds towards the end of the book. We get a bunch of history lessons about the land but nothing that I cared about. The characters were one dimensional. Almost every single bad guy was haughty and took offense at everything. There was a lot of the "How dare they treat me like this internal monologues" from at least 4 different characters. There was the 16 year old princess who complained about how she should be able to lead the army and not needing men to take care of women. This coming from someone who has never picked up a weapon or been out in the real world. The story was too simple and whole lot of nothing happened. I will not be continuing the series.

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

The scope of the story is hugely promising, epic in scale. All the proper ingredients are there: a promising young orphan, a prophecy, vast uninhabitable lands, an unspeakable evil that has awakened, a horde of nasty beasts and a hint of a romance that undoubtedly will blossom in the next few books.

The writing style however does not agree with me. The story starts with flowery descriptions of the highlands that just don't strike a chord (though there are a few hidden gems).
The perspective shifts very often; at times after every other sentence, which is rather confusing.
In the last couple of chapters the story picks up speed and drops some of the annoying traits, so at the end I did look forward to the next book.
All in all I reckon I would have enjoyed reading this a lot had I still been 14 years old.
2.5 stars.

[Brandon McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the most part. It’s kind of slow and spends a lot of time giving a lot of background information into the magic system and the history of the world itself which I really enjoyed. I’ll always enjoy it when an author goes out of their way to explain a magic system along with its potential consequences over just having one for the sake of having one.

There wasn’t a whole lot that really makes this series stand out so far, but seeing as how the first 4 books of the series are all on Kindle Unlimited, I will almost be guaranteed to read the others at some points in time.

I would recommend this series to anyone with an interest in fantasy novels, but to keep in mind that this book is a quick and easy read that serves to be more of a setup for future events than anything else.

[Sheila Bible]

legend of the kestrel

It was very engaging. Plot has a twist within a twist with a boy who never gets to be a boy. Question is will Love this story. He live long enough to become his destiny.

[Ray Knighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

I am just amazed how an author can bring to life a story. Mr Wacht has captured my desire for a good story and woven my desire for more. Thank you

[Millennial Book Review · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Legend of the Kestrel was a book I was overall disappointed by. While I could see a lot of potential with the magic system and the plot, the book didn’t take advantage of that potential. The story has a great beginning, but loses steam shortly thereafter. The characters are difficult to connect with or get invested in. The plot of this book is rather weak, being overshadowed by world-building and the world-building is somewhat sloppy. There isn’t much tension or surprise within the story and it feels like the first half of a longer book, not a completed book in itself. Or that it’s somewhat of a prequel novella to introduce the world to readers. The novel is a very quick read, so if the premise sounds interesting to you, I’d say give it a try. I probably won’t read the next entry into the series, however, as I wasn’t a fan of the writing style or the author’s prose.

my full review can be found here

[ConciseAlan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to like this; the story starts out pretty well. But dumb stuff happens, and the writing needs a lot of polish. "Though he did not look it, he had deceptive strength." If he looked strong, it wouldn't be deceptive. "She swept her hair out of the way with a quick swipe." Swept with a swipe. At least it was quick, though. "He looked down in the dirt, confirming his suspicions were confirmed." And that's just in the first several pages.

A middle school kid who lives with his grandfather. Estate under attack, grandpa decides to make his final stand with his loyal swordmaster and a few guards, sending the boy, alone, through a secret passage. At least he gave the kid a sword he can't carry and a magical necklace. Yes, fantasy, but there needs to be another word for something this ridiculous. dnf.

[David DeRouchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

New author. I almost out of down the first chapter. I'm glad I didn't. Writing improved quickly. I liked the story line. I'll read the next one. No swearing or sex so far.

[Steven Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A steady beginning a YA hero's journey fantasy.

This book has a third person omniscient point of view and does do a bit of head hopping that a few times was confusing. It is however clean and acceptable for preteens and above it appears. So far nothing has occurred in the series to require a real age restriction at all. This book is not a standalone has all the feel of a book meant to foundation build and set up the real story. There was lots of info dumping disguised as teaching when it came to the main character. You have certain antagonists appear only once or twice simply to know that they are there and then do not appear again in the book. You get points of views from many of the minor main antagonist while only hints to the actual main antagonist of the series. That said I get the feeling that this entire series is going to flow pretty much like one large epic fantasy book stretched out or cut up into seven offerings. Depending upon the plot lines it might be two smaller epic fantasy books.

I was a bit incredulous at some of the scenes starting off the book, and even the prologue felt a bit disconnected in a way. Without spoilers I do think no reasonable or intelligent person would allow a 10-year-old to be set off on their own without at the very least having a guide no matter the trust or abilities of the 10-year-old. It made for some interesting reading but the entire time I felt like I was reading an older character particularly with his grace under pressure.

The first chunk of the book is dedicated to to survival along with a few chapters building up the antagonist or at least setting up their story lines. During these chapters you don't really get too much of an understanding of how much time has passed. But the next time we see our young protagonist 5 years have gone by. It was sort of abrupt but the story kept me engaged enough not to be pulled out too badly.

the rest of the story I feel is more of the beginning of an epic fantasy story. We get to see our hero learning through information dumps and some good training or at least the beginnings of some training which is also skipped with unidentified time jumps. Usually instead of being halfway through the story or towards the end of a story we get this in the first 25%.

normally I give stories like this a 3-star rating unless I'm completely enraptured with it. I say this because the story obviously feels exactly how it is, at the beginning of a larger series and not a story in of itself that is complete. The author however does pull off some very good action scenes and managers to introduce characters even late in the story that are interesting. I would have preferred perhaps one book or trilogy with each book feeling more like a complete book. However I think considering how Amazon is enabling some brilliant and ambitious writers to throw themselves out there I have to say I like this.

I do worry that the seven books appear to have been published within a year or a little more. Coming into the first book there was only a handful if that of editing errors. And only one that I can actually recall clearly. The concern I have is considering the pace the books are put out the first book is often the one the author takes the most time on outside of the last book if the series is really one book stressed out to several. I'm hopeful the author at the very least keeps to his standard of this first book because I can see this being a repeatable reread that will average between 3 and 4 stars and perhaps five if the author uses this foundation for all it's worth.


This fantasy does have a bit of a unique fantasy perspective with a bit of a Scottish touch, minus the accent. If I was a bit from the region while creating a unique fantasy world that is interesting and has if not a unique and interesting soft magic system. I enjoyed the main character despite the age of him as well as the antagonist and potential antagonist introduced within the story. The obvious love interest is obvious but appears briefly with a lot of promise with the character. It does have the feeling of developing into what was basically an instant love romance but comes off as filling a bit legit considering how the first meeting occurred and personalities of the characters themselves.

That said I would recommend this book as a good read for anybody on Kindle unlimited. I know the audio is per usual is under $8 I think though that you might want to read the first book before deciding whether or not to invest that money into the audiobook. There's enough potential in the book though that I think if you have the money it wouldn't necessarily be a waste but for$10 you can get Kindle unlimited and read the entire book series to know for sure.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best of the more serious fantasies I've read

A 10 year old man.
Essentially, at the start of the story, even before the 10 year old is charged with a heavy responsibility, he is acting like a man. Two assassins seek to end his life, both professionals. He uses the elemnt of surprise to kill one and get away from the other.
He lives in The Crag, a nearly impenetrable rock fortress that oversees the highlands in his country. His father was killed not long before; his mother died in childbirth; his grandmother passed around the same time, and he realizes that the fact the Crag is under invasion means someone inside betrayed them. His grandfather tells him to take the family claymore and leads him to an escape tunnel. He gives the boy a necklace that belonged to his mother and tells him it will guide him to safety. His grandfather tells him that he will fight to the death to defend the Highlands, which means the boy is now the Lord of the Highlands.
But the boy has another set of grandparents. He makes it out into the forest and follows the direction of the necklace. He comes upon a wolf pup teyimg to keep a vulture from its dead mother. He has been able to see into the woods ahead of him and decides to see if he can communicate with the wolf...and he can. He makes a cairn over the pup's mother and they set off together. He and the pup are on the road with little to no rest or food when they come across a couple in the woods, a couple that has made a camp and is cooking. Eventually he realizes he has come to a safe place, and later realizes they're his MGP.
They raise and train him in a spot sheltered by folklore, rumors, wards, and other protections. Then they let him go to the other side of the lake one day and he ends up in an adventure.
And this section ends with him and his MGF having discussed the adventure and his part in it.
Well written,and I plan to buy the next one in the series as soon as I submit this.

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series and overall it's an enjoyable read.
The thing is, as the series progresses instead of getting better it gets worse, much much worse.
This will be my review to the 7th book of the series, at which point I gave up on it.
Some of the main issues being -
1.There are multiple pages of repeated paragraphs copy pasted from the previous books, it feels like the repetition is done just to increase the word count.
2.Each book is very short and the endings are not tied up very well further on.
3.The series is much too black and white, the forces of good are the bastions of honor and the forces of evil have every possible bad quality imaginable, the bad guys are greedy, honor less, wicked, vengeful, sexist, arrogant, power hungry, and the most ridiculous of all, they're all stupid.
There could be a 100 ways the bad guys could turn the situation around or make better use of their skills but the good guys are always ahead just because the author wants them to be ahead, forced plot.
4.A lot of telling and no showing.
5.The author does not know about how armies work, there is not mention of food supplies, weapon supplies or terrain. Everything just basically works out.
I have many more gripes with the series but they would involve giving some minor spoilers, overall I would not recommend the series.

[S DV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall very enjoyable. I've finished all nine books now, so writing this not so much just for the Legend of the Kestrel but for the entire series as I know a lot of people read the reviews of book #1 and then decide if the series is worth their time. I'd certainly say this one is. I've read a lot of the reviews and most of those with a more negative lean seem to complain about the slow pace of this book and the amount of time spent detailing the Talent (Magic) and how it came to be. Given that this is the first of nine books I'd say that this makes sense. The overall level of action/plot/anticipation increased, especially picking up for me towards the end of bood 2, and from there I thought the series was great. My only complaint is that given the amount of time spent describing some of the places/players/events that are important in the series in the first couple of books, having them re-explained in great detail, almost word for word, again in book 7 and 8 was a bit insulting to me as a reader. If you've got a 9 book series I think it unlikely that a lot of readers are going to start on book 7. As such, there is no need to repeat the same detailed descriptions of Blackstone/Ogren/Raptors...every time they're brought up again in the later books. Other than that relatively minor nitpick, I really enjoyed the entire series and would recommend.

[Moona · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Legend of the Kestrel by Peter Wacht is a thrilling journey into a world of magic, danger, and destiny. The story follows Thomas, a young man who escapes a catastrophic attack on his homeland, the Highlands, and finds refuge with his grandparents—his last remaining family. Under their guidance, Thomas discovers his magical heritage and learns he holds the key to freeing his people from a powerful, ancient evil threatening to consume the Kingdoms.

To overcome the Shadow Lord—a dark force determined to end him—Thomas must muster every ounce of his strength, resilience, and courage. Yet, the journey is perilous, with each choice demanding more than he may be able to give. As he faces terrifying enemies and deep personal loss, Thomas’s fate teeters between victory and ultimate sacrifice.

Wacht's first book in this epic fantasy series is packed with action, suspense, and rich storytelling. Perfect for fans of young adult and epic fantasy, The Legend of the Kestrel captures readers with a tale of heroism and hope against overwhelming odds. Embark on this extraordinary adventure and discover why readers have praised it as "an entertaining read with great storytelling."

[Allis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8
Generally, I'd like to add a note about the whole of this series. It had a great idea but does not match up to it. The author seems to be writing an epic. However, the short novels and unexciting. Each novel seems to be like a chapter in a larger saga. However, each novel barely has value to itself. Although the story is fun at times, I often felt frustrated. While certain events are long and written well, other sections felt rushed. I would say the writer feels inexperienced and took on a harder task than he should have.
Although world-building is usually one of my main problems with books, I did not have many complaints. The magic is fairly unique and decently explained. I could have appreciated a map of the world, but there is no need. The author might use a bit too much telling rather than showing when describing the characters. However, showing can sometimes be distracting and subtract from the main theme, so it worked.
I liked it. However, I would recommend for people to wait until all books are finished before reading. Then just binge read them.

[soaringdragons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic, traditional fantasy story of a boy, the heir to a land, whose family is betrayed and he is forced into exile.

As I was listening to the audiobook for this, I couldn't help but feel that fans of Ranger's Apprentice would love this. It would be perfect for young adult boys seeking to read about a fantasy adventure. While there are scenes of death and killing monsters, it's a rather heartwarming tale of a boy who grows into a warrior through the mentorship of his grandparents. I like the complex, historical, and in-depth explanations we get of how the "talents" are used and how they can be used to befriend animals of the forest.

I do wish the villains were a little more complex in nature, but I suppose the black-and-white nature of good and evil works for classic fantasy like this.

This was a short and fast read, and the prelude to what I imagine will be a much bigger fight between Thomas and the Shadow Lord! I enjoyed seeing Thomas's growth into a well-equipped young man and it will be interesting to see where it leads. 4.5 stars

[Celeste Pakstas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to love it.

The story is engrossing but there are some weird things going on. Why is every woman described with a level of beauty (usually very high)? I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the description of Rya's petite waist. Tell me something interesting about her, not just how appealing (or not) she is to men! And of course, Rya fits this ridiculous stereotype of "beautiful woman with temper who tells husband what to do" - it's not new, not edgy, and portrays women as creatures to be put up with so that men can enjoy looking at them.

The character of Thomas is also a predictable stereotype: young boy who holds back tears and feelings even in times of great trauma.

I think this is Peter Wacht's first book? I'm sincerely hoping that he improves his writing skills and discovers that women are, in fact, humans, so that we can all enjoy his great stories without cringing.

[Diane Shearer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid start to a classic style fantasy series. It doesn’t set the world on fire (yet) but I like it well enough to read the next one, which is free on Audible right now. After that we’ll have to see. The series isn’t on Kindle Unlimited and it’s not available on my library app. Right now I don’t like it well enough to buy it, even though I love that there are already 9 books available. I can’t help but always compare my reaction to a new series with the way I felt in 1992 when I read the first four books of The Wheel of Time, which only GRRM has matched. I had to wait an entire year, then drive an hour to a Barnes and Noble, then wait three hours to get a hardback copy of The Fires of Heaven. With four kids in tow. Which I still have. Good times! I long for an author who can make me feel like that again. This guy will do while I wait.

[Katy Whalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to a series

The book is a great KindleUnlimted find if you love fantasy. It’s hard to find books that don’t either rush through the story or over explain everything. I enjoyed the fact we are slowly getting to know Thomas. The perspectives the stories are told from can jump from person to person without really giving any indication that they have done so. But that being said you can catch on pretty quickly that it has happened. I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for a good read. I am excited to see there are several other books. That is always a plus for me, as I fall in love with all the characters in the books I read and every time hate that they end. So, knowing I have a few more books to go is always a plus in my opinion.

[Kathy Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short story, but not a great novel.

An interesting entry to a series with solid characters and a unique magic system. That said the book is short, like what you would expect for younger readers, the writer is fluid but at times tries to use words that are more common to College Educated readers and are highly out of place to the writing despite the adult overtones. The world building was flat and utilized commonly used tropes over uniqueness. The author also seems to have a height complex because at times the mention of a characters' height was overused. All in all I would still recommend this to any fantasy fan who wants a quick read not looking to dive into a lengthy novel or a masterpiece.

[Maricel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This my series review.
Repetetive plots and texts, too long annoying partner of the MC. I like Thomas, his grandparents, the highlanders, marchers, his wolf, King Gregory, Oso, everyone else except Kaylie and all the villains not because they're villains but because they weren't seens to be smart in villainy. They're just there to somehow move the story forward. Even the Shadow Lord is just meh. The antagonists are not as terrifying as implied. Some texts were almost like copy-pasted from previous books. Four books on, I'm just skipping and skimming just to get the gist of what's going on and skipped almost half of the 8th books coz some scenes are not really necessary. It's not worth 9 books, four or five would have done it.

[AP · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8
Very reminiscent of other YA fantasy books/series I have read not in a bad way though. But like the others it i an enjoyable decent read but in the middle of the road.
If you like this give The 13th paladin series - "Ahren", The Silvan series - "Path of a Novice" and The Dragon Misfits series - "Ice Dragon" a shot as well, among others. Also if you want meandering and dense worldbuilding try out Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings. You get a wolf/animal companion in that one as well if that is your jam!
That said I'll attempt to continue the series when possible as I'm hooked enough to continue so far.

[Debbie Tremel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start.

Likable characters that are well developed, take their first steps on a journey that ramps up toward the end of this first book. Even though there isn't anything remarkably new, it's a well told tale. It's generally well written, but the author does a bit of meandering from one character point of view to the next from paragraph to paragraph. It's a bit distracting as you have to pause to figure out who is actually talking or thinking. Ill definitely read the next in the series though.

[Larry Coppock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Excellent

This book has been a most entertaining read. Mainly because it is an evolutionary tale of a frightened child destined to greatness. The author has a beginning here that definitely warrants continued interest. The characters are interesting and well introduced into their respective roles. The plot breeds curiosity and satisfies it through excellent descriptive story telling. I am really looking forward to reading the next volume and I highly recommend those who love good fantasy blended story telling start here.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book that I initially resisted

I have now read all of the books / first four / that have so far been written. I really resisted reading them at first. In part because Amazon just kept pushing them on me and i have not had great luck with many of their suggested reading recommendations. I will never read and Anderle or M.Manning book again or they seem to forget i have read anything else. Anywho, I'm glad they brow beat me in this case because the books are well written and the story moves along quite quickly.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasant surprise.

I was looking for something to read when I came across this book on my grandson’s Kindle. The first chapter drew me in and I just continued reading. A great story with likable characters as we follow a 10-year-old boy who has fled the destruction of his fortress home and finds his maternal grandparents. We find that the boy is special and that he has special abilities that allow him to sense evil. Book one follows him until he is approximately 16 and sets the plot. I will buy the next book in the series.

[Susan1566 · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is for the entire series. I started the first book and wasn't sure if I would finish, some parts were excellent, others a bit slow but because of the good parts I kept reading. One of the best decisions I have made. About 1/2 way through the book everything turned great - story, writing, characters, you name it, it was there. I couldn't get enough and it took me less than 2 weeks to read all 9 books. I am a fan of Jonathan Moeller, A C Cobble, Jacob Peppers and now Peter Wacht.

Highly recommend to any fantasy lovers, good vs evil, magic, monsters, swords etc.