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Saga of the Severed #1
Gloomwalker
As a boy of eleven, Kyris made a vow to kill a man. A holy man with the blessing of a sun god.
Kyris swore that he would let nothing and no one stand in his way. For eight years he trained and strove, until he was ready to seek out his quarry.
Now his hunt leads him to the great city of Vigil, seat of the Tesrin Imperium, center of the civilized world, and stronghold of his enemy. The one he seeks is powerful, able to call and command hallowed flames at will. But Kyris isn’t without a talent of his own, a dark, sinister ability that makes him the perfect assassin.
In the capital, games of intrigue are played among the merchant houses, slaves struggle against their masters, and the faithful preserve the Light to keep the Darkness at bay. Kyris, however, cares not for any of it. He steals from the city’s highborn to further his cause, but when a simple job goes wrong, when a single knife thrown without thinking embroils him in the schemes of the powerful, his convictions are put to the test.
Vengeance at any cost, or so he’s always told himself. Will it be harder to fulfill that promise or walk away from it?
Kyris swore that he would let nothing and no one stand in his way. For eight years he trained and strove, until he was ready to seek out his quarry.
Now his hunt leads him to the great city of Vigil, seat of the Tesrin Imperium, center of the civilized world, and stronghold of his enemy. The one he seeks is powerful, able to call and command hallowed flames at will. But Kyris isn’t without a talent of his own, a dark, sinister ability that makes him the perfect assassin.
In the capital, games of intrigue are played among the merchant houses, slaves struggle against their masters, and the faithful preserve the Light to keep the Darkness at bay. Kyris, however, cares not for any of it. He steals from the city’s highborn to further his cause, but when a simple job goes wrong, when a single knife thrown without thinking embroils him in the schemes of the powerful, his convictions are put to the test.
Vengeance at any cost, or so he’s always told himself. Will it be harder to fulfill that promise or walk away from it?
- GenresFantasyHigh FantasyAdult
482 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2019
169 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Alex Lang
5 books17 followersAlex Lang resides on the material plane 30% of the time. The other 70%, he’s rooting through the dark corners of the astral, searching for a story worth telling like a blind mole-rat searching for a juicy worm.
When he is present in the physical realm, he fights the siren’s call of video games, TV, and books, so that he may scribble some of his astral findings to share with others. He’s only marginally successful in that never-ending battle.
Gloomwalker is his debut worm… umm, novel.
Subscribe to his mailing list at www.Gloomwalker.com for notice of future juicy meals.
When he is present in the physical realm, he fights the siren’s call of video games, TV, and books, so that he may scribble some of his astral findings to share with others. He’s only marginally successful in that never-ending battle.
Gloomwalker is his debut worm… umm, novel.
Subscribe to his mailing list at www.Gloomwalker.com for notice of future juicy meals.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 17, 2019
* I read this one as it's one of the entries for the #SPFBO competition *
This is a story which pulled me in really quickly and which I read in about 2 days. The book is a fast-paced revenge story where we're following a young man called Kyris as he's trying to learn a secret identity of a man who ruined his life. Kyris and his two sisters are living in a big city now and he's working some jobs to help them get money and to see if he can get access to the whisperer who will help him find the information he needs. He also has a special ability, the Gloom.
The magic of this world is definitely something that feels familiar to me, but which was done well and to good effect in the fight scenes and story in general. The Gloom is a shadow-realm where everything is dark and anything that moves you can float through. However, anything solid is unmovable even in the Gloom, and there's also awful Wraith creatures which will attack if you stay too long so it's a risk to stay long.
There is a secret underworld of criminals in this book, and we get right to the heart of the assassins thieves, and those running things. Kyris will stop at nothing in order to find the one who ruined his life, and to make things right for himself and his sisters.
I liked Kyris as a character and I understood his motivations throughout. I think actually for a revenge story it flowed well and had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. It's also clear there's a lot more to come from this world as whilst reading we hear snippets about the wider world and the Gods and the magic which isn't necessarily shown, but there's more afoot that we know of.
I did spot a couple of typos and errors which no doubt another round of edits would iron out, but in general this was a well written story with a lot of punch and grit alongside heartfelt moments between Kyris and his sisters. I would have liked to see a little more of their relationship actually, but I enjoyed what I did see.
Overall, a solid read and a start to a series I see myself wanting to continue with. It's a great book if you like dark and mysterious powers, thievery, and plots. 4*s from me :)
This is a story which pulled me in really quickly and which I read in about 2 days. The book is a fast-paced revenge story where we're following a young man called Kyris as he's trying to learn a secret identity of a man who ruined his life. Kyris and his two sisters are living in a big city now and he's working some jobs to help them get money and to see if he can get access to the whisperer who will help him find the information he needs. He also has a special ability, the Gloom.
The magic of this world is definitely something that feels familiar to me, but which was done well and to good effect in the fight scenes and story in general. The Gloom is a shadow-realm where everything is dark and anything that moves you can float through. However, anything solid is unmovable even in the Gloom, and there's also awful Wraith creatures which will attack if you stay too long so it's a risk to stay long.
There is a secret underworld of criminals in this book, and we get right to the heart of the assassins thieves, and those running things. Kyris will stop at nothing in order to find the one who ruined his life, and to make things right for himself and his sisters.
I liked Kyris as a character and I understood his motivations throughout. I think actually for a revenge story it flowed well and had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. It's also clear there's a lot more to come from this world as whilst reading we hear snippets about the wider world and the Gods and the magic which isn't necessarily shown, but there's more afoot that we know of.
I did spot a couple of typos and errors which no doubt another round of edits would iron out, but in general this was a well written story with a lot of punch and grit alongside heartfelt moments between Kyris and his sisters. I would have liked to see a little more of their relationship actually, but I enjoyed what I did see.
Overall, a solid read and a start to a series I see myself wanting to continue with. It's a great book if you like dark and mysterious powers, thievery, and plots. 4*s from me :)
December 23, 2022
A fantastic self-published fantasy that follows Kyris, a nineteen year old thief-for-hire, who has been set on getting revenge since he was 11 years old. He also has the unique ability to enter the Gloom — a dark and silent version of the world filled with wraiths.
I actually originally rated this 4 stars back when I read it in 2019, but then even a year after finishing it I found myself thinking about the book regularly and trying to find similar books. So, I realised that no, this is definitely a 5 star read for me and now I take every opportunity to recommend it.
If you love a bloody good revenge storyline and cool magical abilities in your fantasy books then this is definitely for you!
I actually originally rated this 4 stars back when I read it in 2019, but then even a year after finishing it I found myself thinking about the book regularly and trying to find similar books. So, I realised that no, this is definitely a 5 star read for me and now I take every opportunity to recommend it.
If you love a bloody good revenge storyline and cool magical abilities in your fantasy books then this is definitely for you!
September 6, 2019
An excellent series starter
-Overall Thoughts-
Gloomwalker is the first entry in the Saga of the Severed series. With a strong and intriguing start, the story unfolds at a steady pace, but is undeniably a series-starter and leaves the reader waiting for book 2 at the end. The writing is polished and engaging, and the characters are well developed with diverse motivations. The world is interesting, and though we only see a relatively small part of it, hints of its size and depth are frequent and intriguing.
-The World-
Gloomwalker takes place primarily in the city of Vigil, the capital of the Tesrin Imperium. Magical abilities, such as Kyris’ power to enter the shadow-world of the Gloom, are hereditary and mark those with power as scions of the gods. The Path is the religious organization that holds the true governing power in the Imperium. Under the Path’s doctrine, some with power are branded nightspawn - scions of the gods who turned against their fellows in the ancient past - and are anathema. Lumped in with the nightspawn are beastkin, creatures who appear to be part-beast and part-man. Nightspawn are searched out and murdered when found: expeditions are led against beastkin on the fringes of the empire’s borders, and even a rumor of a nightspawn child is enough to bring the Imperium’s Keepers to remote villages of the empire to investigate.
-The Characters-
Kyris is our main POV character. He is a young man with the power to shift into the Gloom - a dark and mysterious shadow-world - that he uses to complete odd jobs of thievery to make ends meet. His ultimate goal is one of vengeance against the man who killed his family when he was a child. However, after a job goes wrong, he finds himself and his power of particular interest to a variety of organizations. His story is engaging, his motivations believable, and he is overall very likable.
We also get several POV chapters from a few other characters. Most of these POVs are introduced back-to-back about 20% into the book, and were at first a bit difficult for me to follow. However, as the plot progresses, these other POVs add a lot to the depth of the story, and the characters we get POVs from hint at very interesting potential storylines in sequels.
-Suggested Audience-
Readers who enjoy the thief/assassin character type would enjoy Kyris’ character. I felt the revenge plot was handled very well, realistically and with emotional impact. There are certainly the beginnings of some interesting political storylines as well, and I look forward to seeing where sequels take us.
-Rating-
5/5, Gloomwalker was a very enjoyable story with intriguing hints of political machinations, a well-built world, fleshed out characters, and engaging writing.
-Overall Thoughts-
Gloomwalker is the first entry in the Saga of the Severed series. With a strong and intriguing start, the story unfolds at a steady pace, but is undeniably a series-starter and leaves the reader waiting for book 2 at the end. The writing is polished and engaging, and the characters are well developed with diverse motivations. The world is interesting, and though we only see a relatively small part of it, hints of its size and depth are frequent and intriguing.
-The World-
Gloomwalker takes place primarily in the city of Vigil, the capital of the Tesrin Imperium. Magical abilities, such as Kyris’ power to enter the shadow-world of the Gloom, are hereditary and mark those with power as scions of the gods. The Path is the religious organization that holds the true governing power in the Imperium. Under the Path’s doctrine, some with power are branded nightspawn - scions of the gods who turned against their fellows in the ancient past - and are anathema. Lumped in with the nightspawn are beastkin, creatures who appear to be part-beast and part-man. Nightspawn are searched out and murdered when found: expeditions are led against beastkin on the fringes of the empire’s borders, and even a rumor of a nightspawn child is enough to bring the Imperium’s Keepers to remote villages of the empire to investigate.
-The Characters-
Kyris is our main POV character. He is a young man with the power to shift into the Gloom - a dark and mysterious shadow-world - that he uses to complete odd jobs of thievery to make ends meet. His ultimate goal is one of vengeance against the man who killed his family when he was a child. However, after a job goes wrong, he finds himself and his power of particular interest to a variety of organizations. His story is engaging, his motivations believable, and he is overall very likable.
We also get several POV chapters from a few other characters. Most of these POVs are introduced back-to-back about 20% into the book, and were at first a bit difficult for me to follow. However, as the plot progresses, these other POVs add a lot to the depth of the story, and the characters we get POVs from hint at very interesting potential storylines in sequels.
-Suggested Audience-
Readers who enjoy the thief/assassin character type would enjoy Kyris’ character. I felt the revenge plot was handled very well, realistically and with emotional impact. There are certainly the beginnings of some interesting political storylines as well, and I look forward to seeing where sequels take us.
-Rating-
5/5, Gloomwalker was a very enjoyable story with intriguing hints of political machinations, a well-built world, fleshed out characters, and engaging writing.
June 22, 2019
That was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting much from a zero feedback kindle unlimited offering, but I was intrigued by the blurb. Who doesn't love a good revenge yarn? Well, that wasn't exactly what I got, not in the traditional sense, but that wasn't a bad thing either. No spoilers, suffice to say, this was an interesting take.
Outside of the story, there's plenty of action, a few heists (which was a nice surprise) and intriguing world building.
The characters were believable and the pacing was solid. This might be me going into something with low expectations and having them met and then some but damn, it was an enjoyable read. Solid 4.5 stars.
Outside of the story, there's plenty of action, a few heists (which was a nice surprise) and intriguing world building.
The characters were believable and the pacing was solid. This might be me going into something with low expectations and having them met and then some but damn, it was an enjoyable read. Solid 4.5 stars.
August 20, 2019
Lost sleep over this
Here I thought it was a coming of age novel, and found that it was a very interesting read. The worldbuilding was exciting, lots of myth to explore further and history to imagine, with interesting mythology to ponder upon. The characters have their voice and well-defined roles, instead of living out their archetypes. This story should be somewhere along in best sellers list instead of an arcane Amazon shelf, but here it was, and I’m looking forward to how the plot and intrigue developed further. Bringing down an empire never seemed this interesting.
Here I thought it was a coming of age novel, and found that it was a very interesting read. The worldbuilding was exciting, lots of myth to explore further and history to imagine, with interesting mythology to ponder upon. The characters have their voice and well-defined roles, instead of living out their archetypes. This story should be somewhere along in best sellers list instead of an arcane Amazon shelf, but here it was, and I’m looking forward to how the plot and intrigue developed further. Bringing down an empire never seemed this interesting.
August 6, 2019
Really liked this, plenty of action (I always love heists/revenge subplots in fantasy books) and all the characters were interesting, world building was original and well incorporated. I’m looking forward to the next book.
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April 13, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/13/2020)! 🎁
September 7, 2019
Action packed but doesn’t skimp on characters
The book starts fast and doesn’t let up. We’re introduced to the main character mid escapade and that leads to a chain reaction for all the ensuing action. None of the beats feel forced. But despite the nearly non stop action the author finds a way to get in a good amount of character development. Very good read that will hook you in.
The book starts fast and doesn’t let up. We’re introduced to the main character mid escapade and that leads to a chain reaction for all the ensuing action. None of the beats feel forced. But despite the nearly non stop action the author finds a way to get in a good amount of character development. Very good read that will hook you in.
June 28, 2019
So glad I checked out Mark Lawrence's SPFBO list this year! What a satisfying read.
Gloomwalker is definitely dark fantasy but managed to leave me feeling content, even optimistic. The characters are engaging, and the fight scenes are vivid.
It's unique and waaay more than just your average tale of vengeance. Two thumbs up!
Gloomwalker is definitely dark fantasy but managed to leave me feeling content, even optimistic. The characters are engaging, and the fight scenes are vivid.
It's unique and waaay more than just your average tale of vengeance. Two thumbs up!
February 8, 2020
I'm not sure if you would call this full-on grimdark but it's definitely a darker style of fantasy. You know that things are going to be dark and gritty when the story starts with a thief who is seeking revenge for the murder of his family by religious zealots. But it wasn't as disturbing as I was afraid it would be and although things seemed bleak at times, there was still some hope for the future.
Even though Kyris is a thief (and assassin) who is seeking revenge and his fighting style seems a little unfair because he can jump behind people with his special ability, he still felt sympathetic. He felt bad when he did bad things and did his best to avoid or correct them. Also, he cared a lot about his sisters and tried to protect them.
Kyris's ability is interesting because there is a lot of nuance to how it works and limitations for using it. I've read books with characters who could shift dimensions before but this one was well-thought-out. He has the ability from the beginning of the book but later you find out how he discovered it and developed it over time, so it skips the slow origin story in the beginning and then shares it when it's relevant to the story. The pacing overall was good to keep the action moving forward and not bog things down with too much explanation, even when jumping to other characters.
LGBT characters: there's not a lot of emphasis on romantic relationships in general. But one major character is revealed to be in a relationship with another man and this motivates his actions.
Overall, the book was entertaining and well-written, and it surprised me a few times with some twists. It's unique enough that I didn't feel like I'd read it before. I'd recommend it to fans of dark fantasy especially if you like thieves/assassins.
Even though Kyris is a thief (and assassin) who is seeking revenge and his fighting style seems a little unfair because he can jump behind people with his special ability, he still felt sympathetic. He felt bad when he did bad things and did his best to avoid or correct them. Also, he cared a lot about his sisters and tried to protect them.
Kyris's ability is interesting because there is a lot of nuance to how it works and limitations for using it. I've read books with characters who could shift dimensions before but this one was well-thought-out. He has the ability from the beginning of the book but later you find out how he discovered it and developed it over time, so it skips the slow origin story in the beginning and then shares it when it's relevant to the story. The pacing overall was good to keep the action moving forward and not bog things down with too much explanation, even when jumping to other characters.
LGBT characters: there's not a lot of emphasis on romantic relationships in general. But one major character is revealed to be in a relationship with another man and this motivates his actions.
Overall, the book was entertaining and well-written, and it surprised me a few times with some twists. It's unique enough that I didn't feel like I'd read it before. I'd recommend it to fans of dark fantasy especially if you like thieves/assassins.
January 11, 2020
Interesting read
This book does not stray to far from typical fantasy novel plots, but the writing itself is a step above most. I am hoping a great majority of this book is just setup to the series because although he establishes interesting characters, he doesn’t flush out any much beyond the main character. However, our hero is well balanced. Unique and powerful but with well defined limitations that build anticipation rather nicely. The interactions in the book seem more authentic than other novels because they all have that what do i get out of it bottom line, that make for more compelling motivations.
This book does not stray to far from typical fantasy novel plots, but the writing itself is a step above most. I am hoping a great majority of this book is just setup to the series because although he establishes interesting characters, he doesn’t flush out any much beyond the main character. However, our hero is well balanced. Unique and powerful but with well defined limitations that build anticipation rather nicely. The interactions in the book seem more authentic than other novels because they all have that what do i get out of it bottom line, that make for more compelling motivations.
December 8, 2021
Not great but not bad
The story itself wasn't that spectacular but wasn't that boring in some aspects. Would I be interested in rereading this not really to maybe. Am I interested in reading the next book in the series or not. I wouldn't mind but also not that bothered if don't get a chance to read it. Still a worthy enough read and could be better in the next book.
The story itself wasn't that spectacular but wasn't that boring in some aspects. Would I be interested in rereading this not really to maybe. Am I interested in reading the next book in the series or not. I wouldn't mind but also not that bothered if don't get a chance to read it. Still a worthy enough read and could be better in the next book.
October 3, 2023
Unexpected gem, the book was really good, full of action, good plot and characters.
The author also studied a bit medieval weapons and how they should be used (slashing makes to sense against mail but piercing will do the trick, longer reach is better, etc) and it makes the fights scenes much more enjoyable.
I would really love for a part 2.
The author also studied a bit medieval weapons and how they should be used (slashing makes to sense against mail but piercing will do the trick, longer reach is better, etc) and it makes the fights scenes much more enjoyable.
I would really love for a part 2.
December 29, 2019
Really enjoyed it. Good story and believable characters. Not a cliff-hanger ending, more of a to-be-continued ending, which I didn't mind. Looking forward to more.
ku-tbr
January 2, 2020Kitty SPFBO
February 24, 2020
Tried 5 new Fantasy Series with high ratings.
This was the only one i stuck to!
Unfortunately. the next book isn't released yet^^-
This was the only one i stuck to!
Unfortunately. the next book isn't released yet^^-
August 31, 2020
Loved it. I want to know more about the GLOOM and that red glowing spear/knife/sword. BOOK TWO PLEASE.
December 13, 2019
Good book
It was a fun read with a good compelling main character an interesting hard magic system. Loved it over all
It was a fun read with a good compelling main character an interesting hard magic system. Loved it over all
December 6, 2019
A very enjoyable read. It drew me in right from the start and kept me interested until the very last page. I am very intrigued to see where the story will go. I really liked the characters, Kyris was very likable and well fleshed out.
My only complaints are about the world-building. I didnt think a lot of it was explained very clearly, if at all. A lot of words and gods were thrown around with often little to no explanation of what they were. Things did get a bit more clear as the book went along, but everything still feels a little vague. I am hoping the next book can shed some more light on everything because I still feel a little in the dark about some of the threads this book threw out.
My only complaints are about the world-building. I didnt think a lot of it was explained very clearly, if at all. A lot of words and gods were thrown around with often little to no explanation of what they were. Things did get a bit more clear as the book went along, but everything still feels a little vague. I am hoping the next book can shed some more light on everything because I still feel a little in the dark about some of the threads this book threw out.
November 29, 2019
Almost a winner
This story reminds me a lot of
Kel Kade and Brent Weeks but without the full backstory of the development of peripheral characters
Do not get me wrong the story is still good and worth reading, but there is a lot the author left on the shelf that needs to be taken down and explored.
I would continue to read future books about these characters just to hopefully find out about his sister Jahna and her story arc.
Read the book it's worth it... Just not a five star .
This story reminds me a lot of
Kel Kade and Brent Weeks but without the full backstory of the development of peripheral characters
Do not get me wrong the story is still good and worth reading, but there is a lot the author left on the shelf that needs to be taken down and explored.
I would continue to read future books about these characters just to hopefully find out about his sister Jahna and her story arc.
Read the book it's worth it... Just not a five star .
September 22, 2019
Gloomwalker follows the story of a young man named Kyris as he seeks out revenge. Pretty basic stuff but it definitely has it twist and turns.
Plot 5/5: I have a soft spot for righteous revenge stories and this one fits the bill. That said, there is a larger story involving the scheming of rulers and crime bosses and a possible rebellion?
Characters 4/5: Kyris is great and the majority of the book is his POV. However, I docked a point here because I found some of the other supporting characters/POVs to be more engaging. Would love to read more of them and perhaps this will be expanded in future books.
World building 5/5: A very interesting world where you can’t be quite sure what you’re being told is real or not. I felt I only got a glimpse of it and I’m eager for more. Also, clever way of providing the history instead of simply info-dumping. I found the powers very intriguing and again, look forward to more being expanded on.
Pacing 5/5: Great pacing. There wasn’t a time when the plot was moving forward. Action, followed by just the right amount of pause before more action.
Prose 4/5: Great in some places and a little dry in others. Docked a point for the inconsistency.
Final score: 4.6
Great read. Highly recommended.
Plot 5/5: I have a soft spot for righteous revenge stories and this one fits the bill. That said, there is a larger story involving the scheming of rulers and crime bosses and a possible rebellion?
Characters 4/5: Kyris is great and the majority of the book is his POV. However, I docked a point here because I found some of the other supporting characters/POVs to be more engaging. Would love to read more of them and perhaps this will be expanded in future books.
World building 5/5: A very interesting world where you can’t be quite sure what you’re being told is real or not. I felt I only got a glimpse of it and I’m eager for more. Also, clever way of providing the history instead of simply info-dumping. I found the powers very intriguing and again, look forward to more being expanded on.
Pacing 5/5: Great pacing. There wasn’t a time when the plot was moving forward. Action, followed by just the right amount of pause before more action.
Prose 4/5: Great in some places and a little dry in others. Docked a point for the inconsistency.
Final score: 4.6
Great read. Highly recommended.
August 19, 2019
Enjoyable and well written
Alex has created a believable and rich world to explore in Gloomwalker. However, it is a dark world, more game of thrones than Tolkien.
I enjoyed the depths, both explicit and hidden. While I would have liked more action from the side of the sisters, the overall arc of the main character was believable. I imagine they will have more to do in future novels and I look forward to reading about it.
Alex has created a believable and rich world to explore in Gloomwalker. However, it is a dark world, more game of thrones than Tolkien.
I enjoyed the depths, both explicit and hidden. While I would have liked more action from the side of the sisters, the overall arc of the main character was believable. I imagine they will have more to do in future novels and I look forward to reading about it.
September 30, 2019
Great read
Would of rated 5 stars but I want to see(hope to see) whether the next books will be as good. Caught my interest from the beginning and now I eagerly wait for the next.
Would of rated 5 stars but I want to see(hope to see) whether the next books will be as good. Caught my interest from the beginning and now I eagerly wait for the next.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews