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A Reign of Darkness #1
The Unification of Paikmeriz
A swordmaster haunted by his memories. A world clinging to peace. When clouds of war darken the horizon, how far will he go to safeguard the future?
Engerahin Lovdiena burns for revenge. Hungry to repay a despotic king for his savagery and desperate for news of his missing father, the talented warrior's plans are thrust into chaos, when an unexpected conference to unify the six kingdoms is announced. But when the beautiful elf princess whom Engerahin has come to love is proposed as the new ruler, the talks break down even as rumors of an ancient enemy's return whisper on the wind.
Torn between pursuing fresh clues about his father's whereabouts and guarding his lovely companion, the vengeance-minded swordsman is ambushed, awakening hidden abilities, all while a dark sorcerer plots to unleash a power that could destroy them all.
Will the sinister forces at work claim victory before Engerahin can master his destiny?
The Unification of Paikmeriz is the gripping first book in the sweeping epic fantasy series, A Reign of Darkness. If you like conflicted heroes, intricate puzzles, and rich world-building, then you'll adore Bryan Caimi's fast-paced tale.
Engerahin Lovdiena burns for revenge. Hungry to repay a despotic king for his savagery and desperate for news of his missing father, the talented warrior's plans are thrust into chaos, when an unexpected conference to unify the six kingdoms is announced. But when the beautiful elf princess whom Engerahin has come to love is proposed as the new ruler, the talks break down even as rumors of an ancient enemy's return whisper on the wind.
Torn between pursuing fresh clues about his father's whereabouts and guarding his lovely companion, the vengeance-minded swordsman is ambushed, awakening hidden abilities, all while a dark sorcerer plots to unleash a power that could destroy them all.
Will the sinister forces at work claim victory before Engerahin can master his destiny?
The Unification of Paikmeriz is the gripping first book in the sweeping epic fantasy series, A Reign of Darkness. If you like conflicted heroes, intricate puzzles, and rich world-building, then you'll adore Bryan Caimi's fast-paced tale.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2020
9 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 13, 2022
A story with potential
Full disclosure, I know the author and that’s a large part of my reading the book. That said, I appreciate the world building, characters and enjoy a bit of the prose. It is not a brainless or relaxing read. If you read fantasy, the story elements won’t be new to you, but it doesn’t follow too closely to common structures or tropes the genre is rife with. Some sections require more than one read or a quick reference to the guide on places and characters, but it succeeds in making one think and invest in the experience which is sometimes what I want or need from a book.
Full disclosure, I know the author and that’s a large part of my reading the book. That said, I appreciate the world building, characters and enjoy a bit of the prose. It is not a brainless or relaxing read. If you read fantasy, the story elements won’t be new to you, but it doesn’t follow too closely to common structures or tropes the genre is rife with. Some sections require more than one read or a quick reference to the guide on places and characters, but it succeeds in making one think and invest in the experience which is sometimes what I want or need from a book.
February 27, 2021
Love fantasy/scifi. This book was acquired thru #GoodReadsGiveaway.
I'd like to thank Bryan for making that possible.
That said, I will always provide an honest review independent of how I acquire a book.
Books are as individual as the people who write them. Thus, I approach each read like a person I have yet to meet/get to know. Some, I REALLY like. Others, take a bit to warm up to. So when it comes to rating books, I find it difficult to deny stars to a cheesy shapeshifting romance that is as well written as some serious literature.
Caimi's "Paikmeriz" is one of those books, you'd pass up after a few pages, if you were not familiar with the fantasy genre. Even within the genre, it requires more brain cells than most to keep track of all the details. I can see why it took years to bring his story to pages. Caimi must have 'lived' in this world when you consider how detailed book 1 is. Almost to the point of boring.
But something happens around 20% in. Things congeal & begin to happen at a rather enjoyable pace. And then, you wish you'd spent more time paying attenting to the first 20 pages of the book. This is not a read for everyone. Younger readers may find it too much of a time investment. But for those who do enjoy entering a world & committing to the world-building & characters; this is an awesome start. I'm looking forward to Book #2 but hope, Mr. Caimi doesn't take as long to get that out as he did book #1.
As with many of the great writers, such as Tolkien & recently George RR Martin, this is a time investment. The sovereinties & players are intricately bound together in a careful & thoroughly planned plot. Satisfaction is not guaranteed. But for me, it was a great find.
I just couldn't get past how I almost stopped early on. Details, minutae and more characters than my poor brain could handle. I thought, I was getting a light, entertainment read. Instead, I got smacked upside the head with a story I couldn't put down, but had to constantly pause & go back to re-read to see what I had missed. That, cost a star...
But truly, if you are a fan of fantasy, here's a new one for your TBR. Books that are REALLY good, I will often buy a hardcopy of. I'm waiting to see how fast bk#2 comes out before I consider the purchase. If Caimi can deliver, I'm hooked. This was definitely a good read~
I'd like to thank Bryan for making that possible.
That said, I will always provide an honest review independent of how I acquire a book.
Books are as individual as the people who write them. Thus, I approach each read like a person I have yet to meet/get to know. Some, I REALLY like. Others, take a bit to warm up to. So when it comes to rating books, I find it difficult to deny stars to a cheesy shapeshifting romance that is as well written as some serious literature.
Caimi's "Paikmeriz" is one of those books, you'd pass up after a few pages, if you were not familiar with the fantasy genre. Even within the genre, it requires more brain cells than most to keep track of all the details. I can see why it took years to bring his story to pages. Caimi must have 'lived' in this world when you consider how detailed book 1 is. Almost to the point of boring.
But something happens around 20% in. Things congeal & begin to happen at a rather enjoyable pace. And then, you wish you'd spent more time paying attenting to the first 20 pages of the book. This is not a read for everyone. Younger readers may find it too much of a time investment. But for those who do enjoy entering a world & committing to the world-building & characters; this is an awesome start. I'm looking forward to Book #2 but hope, Mr. Caimi doesn't take as long to get that out as he did book #1.
As with many of the great writers, such as Tolkien & recently George RR Martin, this is a time investment. The sovereinties & players are intricately bound together in a careful & thoroughly planned plot. Satisfaction is not guaranteed. But for me, it was a great find.
I just couldn't get past how I almost stopped early on. Details, minutae and more characters than my poor brain could handle. I thought, I was getting a light, entertainment read. Instead, I got smacked upside the head with a story I couldn't put down, but had to constantly pause & go back to re-read to see what I had missed. That, cost a star...
But truly, if you are a fan of fantasy, here's a new one for your TBR. Books that are REALLY good, I will often buy a hardcopy of. I'm waiting to see how fast bk#2 comes out before I consider the purchase. If Caimi can deliver, I'm hooked. This was definitely a good read~
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews