Legend of Shadowmar

Fate of Wizardoms #0.6

by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

A clever thief. A grizzled warrior. A legendary castle guarded by a monster of myth. When presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, young and arrogant Jerrell Landish cannot refuse. Teamed with a renowned warrior, he embarks on a quest hundreds of adventurers have attempted. None ever returned. His Locate a legendary castle, defeat the guardian protecting it, and obtain the treasure hidden within. If only he knew what lurked in the castle ruins. If only he understood the dangerous nature of the treasure he sought to claim.

This fun fantasy adventure introduces characters and magical items that play central roles in the Wizardoms Epic and in The Outrageous Exploits of Jerrell Landish .

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Novella

60 pages, ebook

First published July 24, 2019

About the author

I love fantasy, adventure, and magic. More than that, I adore my readers.

My books are written to entertain -- fantasy adventures filled with compelling characters, spectacular magic, thrilling action, constant intrigue, and a sense of discovery. I equate them to the "Marvel Movie" version of fiction, intended to be a fun escape.

I would love to have you join me and my quirky characters for one outrageous adventure after another. With over a million published words, my author journey has just begun.

Best wishes,
Jeff

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Jeffrey L. Kohanek grew up in rural Minnesota where comic books sparked his young imagination, inspiring fantasies of heroes with super-powers saving the day. His tastes later evolved to fantasy epics featuring unlikely heroes overcoming impossible odds to save worlds born from the writer's imagination.

Now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jeff uses that imagination to weave tales of engaging characters caught in fantastic plots to inspire young adults and the child within us all.
_________________________________

"Would you like FREE books and access to exclusive content? Join my author newsletter, which frequently includes special offers and inside info on my books.
Join at www.JeffreyLKohanek.com and download a free eBook today." -Jeff

"I LOVE to hear from readers and fans. Connect with me through email or social media."

Email - author@JeffreyLKohanek.com
Facebook - /JeffreyLKohanek

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legend of Shadowmar
(Fate of Wizardoms #0.6)
by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
Narration by Travis Baldree

This was a prequel it seemed. It was short and made to introduce the world and characters I am guessing. It has a young man, A their named Jarrell, taking a job from an old man to retrieve an amulet from a ancient building and it is guarded by a monster. Harrell gets a swordsman and the story is about the adventure. A fun story although it was short.
Baldree is always excellent in his narration. I got this on sale from chirp.

[KMart Vet · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Legend of Shadowmar" by Jeffrey L. Kohanek is a fantasy adventure that follows the daring journey of young thief Jerrell. Teaming up with a delightfully grumpy seasoned warrior, Jerrell embarks on a quest to find a legendary castle and its hidden treasure, rumored to be protected by monsters. The story presents a fun and engaging adventure with characters and magical elements that contribute to the broader Wizardoms series. Travis Baldree's narration adds to the enjoyment of this glimpse into the larger world.

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Audio ARC]

Legend of Shadowmar is a clean classic epic fantasy novella, mostly plot-driven, suitable for YA and adults, with a thief and a soldier, hired to steal a magical artifact from a monster guarded castle.
Third person POV.

Audio narration: Travis Baldree
Narration was done well and enjoyable.

Favourites:
- Classic trope: I haven't read this sort of simple, classic trope in a while, I liked it.
- Short but Sweet: The audio narration did the story justice and it was just a nice 'read' while taking a walk. It was easy to envision the story.
- Banter: yay for a bit of fun banter!

What I missed:
- Character development: I realize it's always hard to put a lot of character development into such a short story, but I missed it nonetheless. I read a story to watch the protagonist change.
- Twists and surprises: the plot was relatively easy to predict, and I'd have appreciate a few more surprises.

Sexual content: none
Coarse language: none
Violence and gore: moderate violence, mild gore

Conclusion
This wasn't the most complicated, twisty epic I've ever read, but it was definitely fun and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a short, sweet, well written, plot driven classic 'steal from the dragon' story. I think the author has a lot of potential and I'm curious to read some of his other, longer works.

[LooseBoots · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining novella in the style of Indiana Jones in as far as a young man agrees to go on a quest to retrieve an amulet from a haunted castle and shares the adventure with an assistant who is more worldly.
It was an enjoyable read and the series it is leading to could be quite entertaining. Looking forward to the full series.

[elemsr · Rating 5 out of 5]

in one word: amazing

i simply loved the characters and their dynamic. the story tied in well with the main books and it was so interesting to get a glimpse of two of the best characters' past. the vintage fantasy vibe of the book was also immaculate.

100% recommend

[Gayreth Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is absolutely fantastic! Jerrell, a self proclaimed master thief, along with Brogan, a solder with excellent swordsman skills, embark on a quest to retrieve an ancient relic from an ancient fortress. One problem, actually a very huge problem, the fortress is guarded by a monster and also the place is full of traps, deadly traps.... Fast paced, full of action with charismatic characters. A win win for any reader. I was thoroughly entertained from the first page to the last page.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short story to tease for the upcoming series in the fall. Definitely had me laughing at times. I can't wait to continue the adventure with these characters!

[Ana Cordoba · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and entertaining read. The developing dynamic of Jarrell and Brogan was very fascinating to watch unfold.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting world and characters. I would be reading the next book in the series right now, if it was available.

[Dinees Ponton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thief and a guard go on an adventure
Brogan is a semi-retired guard, Jerrell Lendish is a thief. Good thing Jerrell hired Brogan to go to Shadowmar with him. Turned out Jerrell needed Brogan at the very start of the mission. Jerrell had never left Fastella and didn't know he would need food and water to travel 160 miles by horse. Jerrell makes it clear that Brogan is a hired hand only so Brogan teaches him a lesson early in their travels. It is always wise to ask help from an expert in each situation that you have no knowledge in. I like Brogan. He is funny. He lets Jerrell make some mistakes but is willing to help. Jerrell learns a lot about growing up while traveling with Brogan. The plot is well developed and the story flows nicely. The book has some fun parts and some action. I can't wait to read the next book. I recommend this book.

[Christina Morley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio sample and was pleased with the quality of the reading. It's very clear and the characters' voices fit well. However, I am reviewing the short story and not the audio, since I received the story via a book promotion. Even though it is a quick read, there is still character growth by the young thief Jerrell. He teams up with a seasoned soldier named Brogan to retrieve a spelled amulet from a formidable fortress. The writing is descriptive and fluid. The characters are well-rounded. The adventure is tight and not unnecessarily wordy. This prequel is a taste of what is to come and I'm looking forward to reading Book 1, Eye of Obscurance.

[Alan Behan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant short story from the world of Wizardoms, Jerrell and Brogan take us on an adventure of a lifetime, after a game a dice at the Mangy Dog, Jerrell is approached by a hooded figure and offered a contract he can't refuse, one hundred gold coins, but to collect he must venture to Shadowmar Castle and find an amulet, but he needs a warrior, Brogan fits the bill nicely, if the legend is true, a beast guards the old castle, hilarious in parts and the camaraderie Is brilliant, great characters and the plot cracking, highly recommend.....😁

[Lisa Cashen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a fun, quick read. You get a glimpse into the life and mind of Jerrell and the world-building was just enough to whet your appetite for more without overwhelming the reader or bogging down the story.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing what other adventures/calamities that Jerrell gets himself into.

[Veselina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fabulous prequel story for the new series coming from Jeffrey Kohanek.
I loved the combination on the main characters and their different skills. I love the idea of magical object, mystery and quests. I'm diving in his first book of the series. Enjoy.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good short story of The Fate of Wizardom series. I've just downloaded the first 3 books in the series for Amazon.

[Rally Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legend of Shadowmar is the story about Jerrell, a young and confident (soon to be legendary) thief, and Brogan, a battle-hardened and seasoned warrior with experience fighting plenty of monsters, including darkspawn.

Sent on a quest to retrieve a magical amulet, Jerrell seeks out Brogan, and the two of them set off to retrieve the item, even though hundreds have previously attempted the feat, and none have returned.

Confident as he is, Jerrell believes himself equipped with the skills to deliver the amulet. However, even he has to face the fact that not all things can be done alone, and he has more than one humbling moment together with Brogan. In fact, throughout the novella, the character development for Jerrell is fabulous, and the continuous banter between the two characters is hilarious.

And, as always, with Kohanek's work, the scenery and actions (including battles) are well-described, the narrative flows without fault, and the dialogue is on point. Legend of Shadowmar is an exciting read, start to finish!

As an added extra: This novella features more than one event referred back to in the series Fate of Wizardoms, and as a fan of the said series, it's exciting to get to experience them first hand. I especially loved that the author took the care to include the "smallclothes"-event, which had me in stitches.

Legend of Shadowmar is a great teaser for Fate of Wizardoms.

Note: Legend of Shadowmar, along with plenty of other novellas, are all available for free through Jeffrey L Kohanek's newsletter.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun intro to Jeff’s writing style. It is a short story involving Jarrell and Brogan who go on a quest to retrieve an amulet from a monster guarded ancient fortress. This is the beginning of Jeff’s large epic fantasy series “Fate of Wizardoms”. This intro short story reminded me of classic fantasy in the vein of “The Witcher”. It was a super quick, fun heist/monster hunting adventure with interesting characters. I really enjoyed Jeff’s writing style and I am excited to get into the meat of the series and see where these characters go. This audio was also narrated by Travis Baldree which was a huge plus for me as I always love his narration.

[Trisha Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“So you stuck a rusty, broken blade up the beast’s arse?”
This story has all the fixings of epic fantasy adventure fun in a minotaur fighting package. It shows off Jeff's excellent writing and storytelling skills with personable characters who make you want to read more. A great start to Jerrell's rise to fame.
Did you love the Witcher like me? If that answer is yes, give this little story a try.
“The legend of Jerrell Landish will one day be known across the eight wizardoms.”

[Carol Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short prequel to the Wizardoms! Jerrell, a young thief, is hired to recover an amulet from a ruined castle - which may be guarded by monsters! He hires a swordsman to help him, and sets off. What could go wrong?! This is a humourous, engaging tale. It nicely sets the stage for future adventures. I received a free copy of this audiobook, with no obligation. I enjoyed the narration, too

[Garth Mailman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fate of Wizardoms #0.6
Legend of Shadowmar
Jeffrey L. Kohanek

Sword and sorcery type of writing. These are prequels, I’m still not sure what we’re working toward.

If you want something stolen hire a master-thief to do it and if you need defending hire a hulking mercenary.

Remind me very much of There and Back, a Hobbits Tale.

Introduces Jerrell whose adventures follow.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in a series that can be read as a stand-alone story. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. It is a fabricated world with unique norms. Leaves you wanting more.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting dicotomy of characters. A younger arrogant theif who has never worked outside of his city and a warrior who has had a few extra years and far more experience of the perils of travel. Arrogance leads to some great interactions and the main story to gain an amulet back for someone led to the idea of lost lore, languages as well as interesting traps that really use interesting premises. Looks like the series should have some fun interactions as well as crazy adventures.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Plus, it filled in a couple of blank spots I had from reading "Eye of Obscurance." I'm looking forward the second box set.

[Vonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining story of a soldier and a thief who go out on a daring adventure. Available on the author's newsletter, and more. Can't wait for more adventure.

[Scott Shjefte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems to be a tribute to the style of the Grey Mouser tales. Libby library Audiobook.

[Erika Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this prequel to see if it would be worth reading the series as it's a short intro to two main characters and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely worth a read.

[H.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The writing, world building, and character building was good. There were parts of the story that had me giggling, and it almost felt like a coming of age story. One part that had me rolling my eyes was when Jerrell had to go steal horses for their journey. He stole a stallion and a mare. Really? A stallion...and a mare? He was lucky the mare wasn’t in heat. And that the stallion didn’t do anything to make the mare unhappy (they’ll bite and kick if a stallion makes unwanted advances...it’s actually kinda funny to watch. Especially if there are other mares who are in heat and the stallion is trying to get to them, but can’t get around the single mare who isn’t in heat...). Jerrell was going to ride the stallion and Brogan was going to ride the mare. Even though Jerrell is not confident on a horse, and had only ridden twice before? Jerrell should have stolen a gelding to ride in that case. I was really relieved when Brogan demanded that he ride the stallion, due to his armor, and Jerrell the mare. After the Minotaur was killed, the humor about where Jerrell stabbed it was so fun. I don’t know if it was mentioned in the story, but how old is Brogan? I got the impression he was near 40, but that is probably incorrect.

It will be fun to see if the two of them are in the next book.

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella reminded me how much I love Jerrell! His arrogance and self assurance should be irritating but it's quite the opposite! One can't help liking him, he schemes, he jokes, he takes the Mikey out of everyone and does the most outlandish things with such panache, how can one not like him??? I have read all the Wizardoms books, which I incidentally highly recommend, and two extremely comical scenes come up throughout the series but my goodness, those references pale in comparison to the real events! Truly masterfully written, I snorted out laughing a few times. That aside, it's not a comedy per say, Jerrell is tasked with stealing an amulet, I might have forgotten to mention he's a master thief... and I loved his journey to retrieve it. I loved the dialogue between Jerrell and Brogan, really top notch. Although a novella, it gives one a clear picture of who Jerrell is, his skill and his heart. Loved it!

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of the thief Jerrell who was employed to attempt a deadly feat from which none had ever returned previously. He was to go to the mountains to a castle guarded by a monster to fetch an amulet. He would be very well paid however the risk was high but Jerrell took Brogun a master swordsman with him in an attempt to get rich fast. The two rogues encountered a Minotaur but managed to kill him through stealth and teamwork. This was just a short story to introduce the reader to the two rogues, whose light hearted banter made the story a fun read full of action and adventure. I look forward to reading the first book in the series entitled after the amulet they managed to acquire.

[Roger]

Legend of Shadowmar (Fate of Wizardoms prequel). my eighth read from author Jeffrey L. Kohanek. The events & characters leading into the Fate of Wizardoms series. Well-written with intricately developed characters you can invest heavily in and the storyline with its intricate twists & surprises as the tension & suspense ratchets up throughout the book’s length. Kohanek’s fantasy worlds have become one of my favorite fantasy reads. I look forward to reading more in this series. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).