Crimson Spring

The Kingsmen Chronicles #0.5

by Jean Lowe Carlson

Set one year before The Kingsmen Chronicles, Elohl den'Alrahel and Ihbram den'Sennia face their annihilation as the Valenghian Red Valor journey over the Highpasses for the bloodiest spring the High Brigade have ever seen.

Genres: Fantasy

19 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

"Richly set and beautifully told, Carlson paints a story filled with love, lust, and tragedy. She captures the tortured emotions of temptation and desire perfectly and leaves you wanting more." - Chris Patchell, author of In the Dark

“Like George RR Martin and Joe Abercrombie, Carlson writes in the fantasy genre for grown-ups, with flair and elegance. A complex world with characters that develop well, The Kingsmen Chronicles reveals as it builds!” - Daniel F., Amazon Review

Jean Lowe Carlson blends deep wisdom, fast-paced adventure, and timeless discovery into exquisite fantasy. Her raw worlds are reminiscent of George RR Martin, Robert Jordan, Joe Abercrombie, Clive Barker, and Robin Hobb.

Jean holds a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine (ND), and has a keen awareness of psychology and human behavior, using it to paint vivid characters set amidst nations in turmoil or societies with riveting secrets. Exciting, challenging, and passionate, her novels take the reader upon dire adventures while exploring deep human truths and self-knowledge.

In 2016, she was the recipient of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist medal for her dark fantasy Tears. She was also longlisted for the 2016 Online Writing Tips Short Fiction Prize for her dark fairytale The Man in White.

Reviews

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this very short prequel to the magnificent Kingsmen Chronicles which I had really enjoyed reading. The story is about Elohl den' Alrahel and his wyrria, which is his magic unique to the Alrashemni Kingsmen, which aided him in saving the lives of the men who fought by his side. This innate magic told him how and when to move and alerted him to danger which others could not yet be aware of. In this book spring was in the air which meant that the ice on the treacherous mountain would start to melt, and put all the men's lives in danger and this is when the Red Valor struck. These where the forces of the Valenghians and their enemy, and they intended a massacre however, they were not banking on Elohl's wyrria alerting him, with little time to spare, about the attack and how he could save his men's lives. Elohl through his inkings had vowed to fight for justice and truth however all he dreamt of was peace. I love Elohl's character and his gentle manner, and the way his mind is so sharp he can plan to the least detail assured his wyrria would not lead him wrong. A beautiful and great prequel!

[Lora Shouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crimson Spring is a prequel story to Jean Lowe Carlson’s Kingsmen Chronicles series. It is a fairly simple story of a battle between the High Brigade of Alrou-Mendera and the Red Valor of Valenghia. It is told from the point of view of Elohl den’Alrahel, one of the main characters of Blackmark and its sequels, and is illustrative of his career in the High Brigade before he finally completes his ten-year term of service just as Blackmark begins. Some of the aspects of the story make more sense if you have read one or more books of the main series beforehand, but the main story of this battle is simple enough that it isn’t really necessary.

[Manie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter in the mountains is dangerous what with heavy snowfalls, snow covered traps and intense cold.
But Spring is worse as the snow melts and treacherous routes become deathly traps.
Perhaps the 500 Valenghian Red Valor soldiers should thought of that when attempting to invade the Kingsmen territory.
Outnumbered five to one the Kingsmen were facing death. But Elohl has wyrria. Will that be good enough to limit the spring turning to crimson for all of them?
Author Jean Lowe Carlson with Crimson Spring certainly made my skin shiver in concern during a heat wave boiling outside.
Enjoy this introduction to the Kingsmen Chronicles.

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a group of complex, ragged men prepare for continual war, there is hope that someday spring will be peaceful without bloodshed. I enjoyed how these men weren't consumed by the desire of fighting, cared about each other and their how they possess a great of emotional depth that complements the beautifully created world.

[Ketil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crimson Spring is a prequel story to Jean Lowe Carlson’s Kingsmen Chronicles series. It is a short story of a battle between the High Brigade of Alrou-Mendera and the Red Valor of Valenghia. It is told from the point of view from the main character and its a action packed story that reflects on the human prize of war.

[Steve Filson · Rating 4 out of 5]

very short , but "The Force" is with him , shielding him and his crew. Being an Honest ARC reviewer I read this story ....Chapter ... and see how the rest of the series will hopefully expand. enjoy a quick read .

[Gayreth Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this short prequel. (I wish it had been longer). The setting is before the Kingsmen Chronicles and gives some insight to the character Elohl and some of his men as they are in an unending war between two nations.I loved the Kingsmen Chronicles and Elohl.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This extremely short 1 chapter prequel really doesn't tell us anything new about the characters.
A pity it doesn't go a bit further back, this covers less than 2 days of his life.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the other three books which were fantastic. This is short but gives a bit of insight into the story.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting prequel. It is of a battle, I like where this is going. Jean Lowe Carlson does a wonderful job setting the scene. I can not wait to get into Blackmark. This is going to be good.

[Donna Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant job of creating a fantasy world and cast of characters in such a short book. I was caught from the first sentence.

[Norman Hirschman · Rating 5 out of 5]

S some readers mentioned it was rather short but the intensity in my opinion made up for it. Hope to be able to read the books reaching further in to the adventure.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

[Paulo De Sa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short story with 2 main characters of the Kingsmen Chronicles, and, boy, how go it is. Is full of war scenes with a show of how good a strateg he is.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very adventurous and a good page turner. Outstanding characters within the story. Gives you clue what to expect in the upcoming series that follows.