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The Dark Lord of Oklahoma: An Unconventional Story
Love Star Wars? Love Lord of the Rings? Live in Rural, USA?Buy this book now!!! Orcs. Elves. AK47s. Modern-Day Oklahoma.An ancient and otherworldly evil is summoned to our world. But instead of seducing the elites and the powerful of the more metropolitan areas or overpowering coastal cities, this Tolkienesque-like monster strikes into the heart- straight into the Heartland.But if you know Okies, they ain't gonna go down with out a fight.Now it is up to a crusty group of Military Veterans, misfits, and outcasts, known as the Nomads to stop the Dark Lord that is planning a town-by-town campaign to gain control of the Sooner State. Will this group of Nomads be successful? Or will the Dark Lord reign over Oklahoma?
#urbanfantasy #orcs #elves #ak47s #guns #stephenkingfans #tolkienfans #starwarsfans
#urbanfantasy #orcs #elves #ak47s #guns #stephenkingfans #tolkienfans #starwarsfans
370 pages, Paperback
Published May 18, 2020
18 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 18, 2021
The Dark Lord Of Oklahoma is truly an unconventional story. I am not a fan of fantasy but this book combined the elements of mystery, thriller and fantasy and I absolutely loved it. The writing style is also quite different with two chapters in the beginning informing us about disappearance of Deacon Andrews by some creatures having green skin, claws and black blood, followed by three sections - The Walking Man, Freeborne and The Witch Queen.
The secrets were slowly revealed and the mystery element was nicely used. All the characters were highly intriguing and you could feel there are secrets attached to them like Elena's ex - boyfriend Chase, Sasha and Elena herself, the Walking Man who turns out to be someone who was considered dead until now, The Governor of the city and The Death Squad but you are clueless and you want to know it asap but the book will give it just at the perfect time.
The writing style was so good that the book played out like a movie before my eyes. Initially strange events were happening throughout Henrietta and the characters especially that of Elena were as clueless as me (as a reader). I loved how the story progressed and the pace. Absolutely Recommended!
The secrets were slowly revealed and the mystery element was nicely used. All the characters were highly intriguing and you could feel there are secrets attached to them like Elena's ex - boyfriend Chase, Sasha and Elena herself, the Walking Man who turns out to be someone who was considered dead until now, The Governor of the city and The Death Squad but you are clueless and you want to know it asap but the book will give it just at the perfect time.
The writing style was so good that the book played out like a movie before my eyes. Initially strange events were happening throughout Henrietta and the characters especially that of Elena were as clueless as me (as a reader). I loved how the story progressed and the pace. Absolutely Recommended!
November 29, 2024
Okay, so it took me longer to listen to this book than it should have, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the narrators voice at all. It definitely gave off sort of a nerdy vibe, which in many ways is perfect for this sort of book. So I truly believe it's a personal preference, his voice grated on me, and I struggled to listen and didn't want to go back. The big gaps in listening often made it hard to follow the story.
I do think the concept was super unique and appreciates that. It's definitely in a league all of its own! I am impressed by the authors creativity, and I think had I chosen to read the book, I probably would have enjoyed and rated it higher.
I have other books I'd like to grab from Richard's, and I look forward to giving his work another shot.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I do think the concept was super unique and appreciates that. It's definitely in a league all of its own! I am impressed by the authors creativity, and I think had I chosen to read the book, I probably would have enjoyed and rated it higher.
I have other books I'd like to grab from Richard's, and I look forward to giving his work another shot.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 22, 2020
“There is death. There is killing. These are not just acts of war. In unconventional warfare they are something else.”
Elena Doolin’s life seems normal. She is a cellist, music teacher, citizen of Henryetta, Oklahoma, and a recently single and heartbroken individual. But when she is abducted by a threat group composed of high fantasy creatures known only as the Sons, she realizes she plays an essential part in the future of Oklahoma.
You really won’t find another book like this. Oklahoma, Orcs, and guns. I’ve been thirsting for some high fantasy and this satisfied it in the most unconventional way. Basically, imagine your favorite high fantasy creatures and put them on your playing field. The human earthly setting of Oklahoma made the story strangely... relatable? Which is a weird word to use for the high fantasy genre.
There are a lot of elements to this book: action, romance, the occult. It’s like John Wick and The Lord of the Rings had a satanic baby and birthed it in the midwest. I enjoyed the variety in characters and the dialogue between them was comical considering they are a bunch of war trained bros out on a mission and giving each other a hard time. Banter is my favorite dialogue to read so this was great.
My negative is that there is a bit of info dumping in the form of media excerpts. The author strings in extra backstory in the midst of the novel to help make sense of how the situation arose. But the pacing is so quick that it makes up for it.
Overall, a wild read! If you’ve been thirsting for some orcs with guns, this is the one, baby.
Elena Doolin’s life seems normal. She is a cellist, music teacher, citizen of Henryetta, Oklahoma, and a recently single and heartbroken individual. But when she is abducted by a threat group composed of high fantasy creatures known only as the Sons, she realizes she plays an essential part in the future of Oklahoma.
You really won’t find another book like this. Oklahoma, Orcs, and guns. I’ve been thirsting for some high fantasy and this satisfied it in the most unconventional way. Basically, imagine your favorite high fantasy creatures and put them on your playing field. The human earthly setting of Oklahoma made the story strangely... relatable? Which is a weird word to use for the high fantasy genre.
There are a lot of elements to this book: action, romance, the occult. It’s like John Wick and The Lord of the Rings had a satanic baby and birthed it in the midwest. I enjoyed the variety in characters and the dialogue between them was comical considering they are a bunch of war trained bros out on a mission and giving each other a hard time. Banter is my favorite dialogue to read so this was great.
My negative is that there is a bit of info dumping in the form of media excerpts. The author strings in extra backstory in the midst of the novel to help make sense of how the situation arose. But the pacing is so quick that it makes up for it.
Overall, a wild read! If you’ve been thirsting for some orcs with guns, this is the one, baby.
December 7, 2022
I wanted to like this but it is a slog to read. Great concept, but poorly executed in countless ways. It needs better editing to make it flow, and most of it needs to be more concise and to show, not tell. There were some unnecessary phrases such as "like all elves in high fantasy novels" and scenes where people did not behave naturally or stared/stood still/quietly talked for exactly "five minutes." I see these things in novels from big publishers from time to time, but this book had an abundance of clunky writing that made it very difficult to read the entire way through. Instead of hitting a couple of potholes during a relatively smooth ride, it was like driving down one of Oklahoma's many busted roads with constant jarring and bumping in between getting stuck behind a slow farm truck on a two-lane with no passing for 15 miles.
Kudos for setting this in Oklahoma and including settings like Kiefer castle and Picher. The novel has a distinctive Oklahoma overtone but there are some misses. For example, at the beginning they form the "Oklahoma Historical Society." The real OHS has existed since 1893 and is a significant state department, so I thought this was strange.
If you can get through the clunky writing, it's a pretty decent story.
Kudos for setting this in Oklahoma and including settings like Kiefer castle and Picher. The novel has a distinctive Oklahoma overtone but there are some misses. For example, at the beginning they form the "Oklahoma Historical Society." The real OHS has existed since 1893 and is a significant state department, so I thought this was strange.
If you can get through the clunky writing, it's a pretty decent story.
March 10, 2021
Elena Dooling is a simple cellist, a music teacher living in the countryside in Henryetta, Oklahoma. Dumped by her boyfriend Chance, without any explanation, she is far from vulnerable. She knows something is not right with Chance whom she claims she "knew too well" to just abandon the relationship. But Chance is not who he is showing to be. Neither is Elena. But she doesn't know her worth just yet.
Things start getting wierd around her when she notices certain abnormalities. She tries to find out but is kidnapped by the certain threat group.
She is special and important but she doesn't know that until she gets taken away by the "Sons" for things her ancestors have done to their kind for which they seek vengeance. She is now solely responsible for the future of Oklahoma.
What will happen when Elena discovers the truth about herself? What is her destiny and will she be able to fulfill it?
This book is a mash up of mystical fantasy beings like Orcs, Elves in the modern setup which makes it an interesting plot. Apart from the start which is a little rough, the story is fast paced. The narration is raw and contemporary. The segments end in a mystery which makes it a page turner.
This book is action packed, gripping and a must read if you like this genre.
Things start getting wierd around her when she notices certain abnormalities. She tries to find out but is kidnapped by the certain threat group.
She is special and important but she doesn't know that until she gets taken away by the "Sons" for things her ancestors have done to their kind for which they seek vengeance. She is now solely responsible for the future of Oklahoma.
What will happen when Elena discovers the truth about herself? What is her destiny and will she be able to fulfill it?
This book is a mash up of mystical fantasy beings like Orcs, Elves in the modern setup which makes it an interesting plot. Apart from the start which is a little rough, the story is fast paced. The narration is raw and contemporary. The segments end in a mystery which makes it a page turner.
This book is action packed, gripping and a must read if you like this genre.
January 19, 2024
Must read if you love high fantasy
This book is so much better than I thought it would be. The setting starts out so typical of the area. I grew up in Oklahoma so the geography immediately clicked in my mind, and the characters seemed so familiar that I could have known them. But as I settled down to read a relaxing home town rural adventure, the scenes taking place suddenly turned into a quest straight out of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I couldn't put the book down. This is a "must read" if you like high fantasy and ever wondered how the battle of good vs. evil over "No Man's Land" (the Sooner state) turned out.
This book is so much better than I thought it would be. The setting starts out so typical of the area. I grew up in Oklahoma so the geography immediately clicked in my mind, and the characters seemed so familiar that I could have known them. But as I settled down to read a relaxing home town rural adventure, the scenes taking place suddenly turned into a quest straight out of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I couldn't put the book down. This is a "must read" if you like high fantasy and ever wondered how the battle of good vs. evil over "No Man's Land" (the Sooner state) turned out.
August 26, 2022
I know the author, so that may affect my perspective.
A solid book for his first outing, Dark Lord shows the author's love of Oklahoma and all things military.
If you've ever been to Henrietta or Ponca City, you'll appreciate the author's description of those places.
There were a few plot holes that were not explained but it wasn't too hard to catch up by context.
The character are colorful and very Oklahoman.
Hope he continues to write and enjoys honing his craft!
A solid book for his first outing, Dark Lord shows the author's love of Oklahoma and all things military.
If you've ever been to Henrietta or Ponca City, you'll appreciate the author's description of those places.
There were a few plot holes that were not explained but it wasn't too hard to catch up by context.
The character are colorful and very Oklahoman.
Hope he continues to write and enjoys honing his craft!
July 20, 2022
📓 THE DARK LORD OF OKLAHOMA - An Unconventional Story
AUTHOR- Ethan Richards
PUBLISHER- Total Publishing and media
PUBLISHED ON- 18 May, 2020
GENRE- Fiction/ Fantasy
RATING- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"THE DEVIL HAS NO POWER, EXCEPT IN THE DARK"
ABOUT AUTHOR- Ethan Richards is infantryman and member of the Army National Guard and embracing his dream of writing.
BOOK DESCRIPTION- Story of an ancient and otherworldly evil who is summoned to our world. Nomads who are trying to stop the Dark Lord are trying to gain control of the Sooner state.
BOOK REVIEW-
Story starts with abduction of Elena Doolinh, who is a music teacher by profession and resident of Oklahoma. Elena's ex boyfriend Chance dumped her without any explanation and she is not able to accept this as she claims she knew Chance too well and thinks something is not right with him.
As soon as Elena notices things being weird in her surrounding, she gets kidnapped by the threat group.
Yet she is unaware about her role and importance in future of Oklahoma and unaware of the fact that she was abducted by "Sons" for things her ancestors have done to their kind for which they seek vengeance.
What's her destiny and will she be able to fulfill it?
The Dark Lord, who was summoned by a witch Queen to fulfill her Dark wishes.
As the Sons are trying to gain control over the state , will Elena be of any help to them or will the Dark Lord reign?
Nomads are planning a town by town campaign to gain control of the sooner state.
Will they be successful in stopping the THE DARK LORD?
Well written and fantastical adventure book 📖
Enjoyable from beginning to end.
************************************
Mystical fantasy with intriguing plot of urban fantasy!!
************************************
ALL VIEWS AND OPINIONS ARE OF MY OWN AND HONEST.
AUTHOR- Ethan Richards
PUBLISHER- Total Publishing and media
PUBLISHED ON- 18 May, 2020
GENRE- Fiction/ Fantasy
RATING- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"THE DEVIL HAS NO POWER, EXCEPT IN THE DARK"
ABOUT AUTHOR- Ethan Richards is infantryman and member of the Army National Guard and embracing his dream of writing.
BOOK DESCRIPTION- Story of an ancient and otherworldly evil who is summoned to our world. Nomads who are trying to stop the Dark Lord are trying to gain control of the Sooner state.
BOOK REVIEW-
Story starts with abduction of Elena Doolinh, who is a music teacher by profession and resident of Oklahoma. Elena's ex boyfriend Chance dumped her without any explanation and she is not able to accept this as she claims she knew Chance too well and thinks something is not right with him.
As soon as Elena notices things being weird in her surrounding, she gets kidnapped by the threat group.
Yet she is unaware about her role and importance in future of Oklahoma and unaware of the fact that she was abducted by "Sons" for things her ancestors have done to their kind for which they seek vengeance.
What's her destiny and will she be able to fulfill it?
The Dark Lord, who was summoned by a witch Queen to fulfill her Dark wishes.
As the Sons are trying to gain control over the state , will Elena be of any help to them or will the Dark Lord reign?
Nomads are planning a town by town campaign to gain control of the sooner state.
Will they be successful in stopping the THE DARK LORD?
Well written and fantastical adventure book 📖
Enjoyable from beginning to end.
************************************
Mystical fantasy with intriguing plot of urban fantasy!!
************************************
ALL VIEWS AND OPINIONS ARE OF MY OWN AND HONEST.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2021
It felt like I was watching a movie in my head!! This story has everything you want in a book. If you have elves, meat-eating creatures,elves, orchs,dwarves, guns and action,urban fantasy trope, suspense, romance and battles of good Vs evil then what else do u want man?
✨
In the state of Oklahoma there's a witch Queen who wants to summon the dark lord to fulfill her dark wishes.
Elena and Shasha used to work together in a music school in Henryetta, Oklahoma. Elena was heartbroken after her breakup with a major heartthrob of the town, Chance.Shasha and Elena decided to spend the weekend together at later's house.And that day something very eerie happened, murder of crows in her garden which was very shocking.As the story progresses,frequency of strange events happening around her also progressed.And one day she woke up because of a nightmare and went for a drive and......
She was kidnapped! A group of orcs kidnapped her. And this abduction revealed her past to her,something which even she didn't knew which could change future of Oklahoma.
Why did they kidnapped her?
Is there any connection of this with the queen?
What will happen to her now?
What was there in her past?
...
Do read this amazing book to know more!
✨
This story has as much great world building as Lord of the Rings. The characters are very well built! Narration and writing style was amazing and with such an intriguing plot it was really hard for me to put it down! The cover and title of the book were striking!For me this was kind of perfect book!
✨
I found this to be a great deal for any fans of urban fantasy!
✨
Just totally loved it!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
✨
In the state of Oklahoma there's a witch Queen who wants to summon the dark lord to fulfill her dark wishes.
Elena and Shasha used to work together in a music school in Henryetta, Oklahoma. Elena was heartbroken after her breakup with a major heartthrob of the town, Chance.Shasha and Elena decided to spend the weekend together at later's house.And that day something very eerie happened, murder of crows in her garden which was very shocking.As the story progresses,frequency of strange events happening around her also progressed.And one day she woke up because of a nightmare and went for a drive and......
She was kidnapped! A group of orcs kidnapped her. And this abduction revealed her past to her,something which even she didn't knew which could change future of Oklahoma.
Why did they kidnapped her?
Is there any connection of this with the queen?
What will happen to her now?
What was there in her past?
...
Do read this amazing book to know more!
✨
This story has as much great world building as Lord of the Rings. The characters are very well built! Narration and writing style was amazing and with such an intriguing plot it was really hard for me to put it down! The cover and title of the book were striking!For me this was kind of perfect book!
✨
I found this to be a great deal for any fans of urban fantasy!
✨
Just totally loved it!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
March 11, 2021
Book Title: The Dark Lord of Oklahoma
Author: Ethan Richards
Publisher: Total Publishing
Publication date: 1 June 2020
The Dark Lord of Oklahoma by Ethan Richards falls under urban fantasy and rural fantasy category having a lot of high-fantasy creatures, orcs, guns, elves, and AK47s.
The story starts with Elena Doolin in the present times who had a normal life, or that's what she had thought, but everything changes when she is abducted by a threat group composed of high-fantasy creatures known only as the Sons. And now that she has been reminded of her past and who she actually is, she realizes that she plays a critical part in the future of Oklahoma.
Now, who is Elena actually? And why did the Sons kidnap her? What do they want from her? As the Sons are trying to gain control over the state, will Elena and her team be able to save their state from them or will the dark lord reign? Read to find out !!!
This book is absolutely different from all other fantasy books that I have read so far and that's mainly because how well it has interwoven thriller, mystery and fantasy into a single knot. The moment it introduces "The Phantom Man" in the very beginning of the story and the moment when everything starts going the other way in Elena's life, the buzzards and the carcasses with unearthly features and "The walking man", you know this is going to be an unnatural, disturbing yet a wild rollercoaster ride of action, war and a lot of high-fantasy elements that is going to keep you turning pages for answers.
Overall, it was a wild fantastic read indeed !!!
Author: Ethan Richards
Publisher: Total Publishing
Publication date: 1 June 2020
The Dark Lord of Oklahoma by Ethan Richards falls under urban fantasy and rural fantasy category having a lot of high-fantasy creatures, orcs, guns, elves, and AK47s.
The story starts with Elena Doolin in the present times who had a normal life, or that's what she had thought, but everything changes when she is abducted by a threat group composed of high-fantasy creatures known only as the Sons. And now that she has been reminded of her past and who she actually is, she realizes that she plays a critical part in the future of Oklahoma.
Now, who is Elena actually? And why did the Sons kidnap her? What do they want from her? As the Sons are trying to gain control over the state, will Elena and her team be able to save their state from them or will the dark lord reign? Read to find out !!!
This book is absolutely different from all other fantasy books that I have read so far and that's mainly because how well it has interwoven thriller, mystery and fantasy into a single knot. The moment it introduces "The Phantom Man" in the very beginning of the story and the moment when everything starts going the other way in Elena's life, the buzzards and the carcasses with unearthly features and "The walking man", you know this is going to be an unnatural, disturbing yet a wild rollercoaster ride of action, war and a lot of high-fantasy elements that is going to keep you turning pages for answers.
Overall, it was a wild fantastic read indeed !!!
May 9, 2022
I will say this one and its sequel took me a little longer than most because I’ve had a lot going on the last month or so. But I had fun reading them! One of the more unique storylines that I’ve read.
I would call it urban, modern fantasy. Definitely give it a read if guns, orcs, elves, and warfare are your thing.
The characters are interesting and well thought through. The dialogue is easy to read and comical at times. While the story itself is definitely unconventional, I felt like it was pretty relatable for the fantasy genre because of the setting. I also live in rural North America, so I feel like I can really picture myself in the story.
I would call it urban, modern fantasy. Definitely give it a read if guns, orcs, elves, and warfare are your thing.
The characters are interesting and well thought through. The dialogue is easy to read and comical at times. While the story itself is definitely unconventional, I felt like it was pretty relatable for the fantasy genre because of the setting. I also live in rural North America, so I feel like I can really picture myself in the story.
Read
January 29, 2024Was it in any way, shape, form, or definition a good book? No. Do I have any clear idea of what I just read or what actually happened? Also no. Am I still going to tell every single other person I know (and even those I don't) who lives in Oklahoma to RUSH to their libraries and pick this bad boy up? Oh hell yes.
August 12, 2022
As someone who doesn’t typically read fantasy, I was pleasantly surprised by how I enjoyed this book! Bringing creatures like orcs and elves into our modern, every day world is not anything I have read before, and the various mysteries kept me turning pages, excited to see them unfold!
February 25, 2023
Listen. This book is called "The Dark Lord of Oklahoma" - if you read it expecting something better, that's on you. Is this a good book? No, by almost all metrics, it is not. Is it a delightful read that I am recommending to all my Oklahomies? Yes, yes it is.
April 6, 2023
Orcs, Elves, Oklahoma, Action, Adventure Fantasy. Complete with AK47's. It was not my usual kind of read, but I was intrigued. Very likable characters & another great narrator on the Audiobook. Thank you to the author Ethan Richards for the gifted audio code. 3⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 6, 2021
First off thank you to Ethan Richards for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review. If you are into fantasy with some lord of the rings feels and have a knowledge of the military I think you will like this book. For me it wasn’t a genre I would choose, I found it hard for me to follow as a lot of it wasn’t what I was into for reading. But don’t let that discourage you, I think that every book someone will love and maybe this is the one for you. There is a lot going on from other worlds to orcs and hidden spy’s within the mix. If that intrigues you then maybe this is the book for you 😊
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews