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Rising Shadows
As tension rises between the southern and northern nations of the small continent of Exitium in the world of Anteris, the Elves turn to their eastern neighbors, the Humans, for help. They wish to learn the ways of combat, which they are not accustomed to, for they have always wielded a power far greater than forged steel. The Shards of Creation, mystical artifacts of great and virtually infinite power, have always been their prized weapon, but times have changed. They now face the same threat as the Humans: the southern nation known as the Ethula.
Wariel Ritch, general of the Human army, will take upon his shoulders this burden. But when a shadow of a past long forgotten threatens what little stability is left in the world, he will have to leave everything behind to stop it. Medregal Tergrast, an Ethulan king, dead for a thousand years, plans his return to the world of the living to gain back his former glory and finally fulfill his destiny by gaining control of the Shards of Creation. But is he really the threat people make him out to be?
In the meantime, in the bowels of the Human Kingdom, the reign of Dana Crystaloak is put into jeopardy when people around her start questioning her decisions. If she falls, war could break out across all lands.
Wariel Ritch, general of the Human army, will take upon his shoulders this burden. But when a shadow of a past long forgotten threatens what little stability is left in the world, he will have to leave everything behind to stop it. Medregal Tergrast, an Ethulan king, dead for a thousand years, plans his return to the world of the living to gain back his former glory and finally fulfill his destiny by gaining control of the Shards of Creation. But is he really the threat people make him out to be?
In the meantime, in the bowels of the Human Kingdom, the reign of Dana Crystaloak is put into jeopardy when people around her start questioning her decisions. If she falls, war could break out across all lands.
- GenresFantasy
342 pages, ebook
Published August 14, 2020
9 people want to read
About the author
Phillip Blackwater
1 book1 followerIf you found your way here, then you must already know I love to write. I am a fan of fiction, mostly fantasy, sci-fi, and post-apocalyptic (amongst others), and in all its forms, whether it is books, video games, movies, or tv-shows.
The first time I truly realized how much I loved fiction, was through The Lord of the Rings' movies (like probably a lot of people). Since then, I traveled to so many different worlds: Halo, Mass Effect, Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, Witcher, and Fallout (to only name a few). It made me want to explore my own imagination and see what worlds I could create. This is what led me, among other things, to writing.
What can you expect from my books? I don’t bother myself trying to be a flowery writer, I want my writing to be available to everyone. And what I want above all when people read my books, is for them to have a good time and some fun. This is what truly matters to me.
When I’m not writing, I am: A husband. A father of three cats. Reading, gaming, or watching movies and tv shows. A big hockey fan. And when I’m done with all of that, I’m a big geek and collect a lot of stuff (No, I’m not a hoarder, I swear!).
Full novels will all be available on Amazon, and short stories, artwork, or anything else will all be available on my website: phillipblackwater.com.
You can follow my Twitter (@phil_blackwater) or my Instagram (@phil_blackwater), or register to the newsletter on my website, to know when new stories are available.
The first time I truly realized how much I loved fiction, was through The Lord of the Rings' movies (like probably a lot of people). Since then, I traveled to so many different worlds: Halo, Mass Effect, Warcraft, Elder Scrolls, Witcher, and Fallout (to only name a few). It made me want to explore my own imagination and see what worlds I could create. This is what led me, among other things, to writing.
What can you expect from my books? I don’t bother myself trying to be a flowery writer, I want my writing to be available to everyone. And what I want above all when people read my books, is for them to have a good time and some fun. This is what truly matters to me.
When I’m not writing, I am: A husband. A father of three cats. Reading, gaming, or watching movies and tv shows. A big hockey fan. And when I’m done with all of that, I’m a big geek and collect a lot of stuff (No, I’m not a hoarder, I swear!).
Full novels will all be available on Amazon, and short stories, artwork, or anything else will all be available on my website: phillipblackwater.com.
You can follow my Twitter (@phil_blackwater) or my Instagram (@phil_blackwater), or register to the newsletter on my website, to know when new stories are available.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 25, 2022
Rising Shadows is in many ways an old school fantasy with clearly a lot of thought given to details of the worldbuilding, traditions of its people and the places we visit. There is a lot of things happening so it never gets boring. There is a special magic system and also fantastical creatures to be found, which add a nice layer of depth throughout.
The author clearly has a great imagination and excels when it comes to worldbuilding, an area where I would give it much higher star rating than my overall score here.
His characters are well thought out, but I think what would really take it to the next level would be a bit more uniqueness as far as the characters go, a bit more of something that would make the reader start rooting for and fall in love (or hate) with. I think the potential is there, but maybe needs to be fleshed out a bit more.
Something that’s drawn me to the book immediately was the gorgeous cover - I mean just look at it!! It screams fantasy, and that’s exactly what I got.
I found Rising Shadows to fall into the 'typical fantasy' genre for the most part. That isn’t necessarly a bad thing - as by picking up a book from a specific genre you also expect and want some specific things. But some elements ended up feeling a bit generic and/or repetitive here.
The book has the typical 'medieval' feel to it that you often get in fantasy stories. The armies and weapons and fights as well as the epic fantasy journey are all part of it. So, if you are looking for a fantasy world to get lost into, Rising Shadows could be the book for you!
However, what I found a bit unfitting was that some of the dialogue felt a bit too modern to fit in with the setting. I also had the impression that a round or two with an editor could do the book good as I found some sentences to be a bit long, too complex or clunky.
Overall though, this is an easy and enjoyable read if you are looking for a typical fantasy. You get the typical quest, interesting characters, many fights (but not too much (graphic) violence (or romance)), making it a pretty clean read.
3.5 stars from me, downgrading it to 3 to fit in with the Goodreads rating system.
** Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for a blogtour. Big thank you to the author and the tour organiser for my ebook and spot on the tour (none of which influenced my review in any way).
The author clearly has a great imagination and excels when it comes to worldbuilding, an area where I would give it much higher star rating than my overall score here.
His characters are well thought out, but I think what would really take it to the next level would be a bit more uniqueness as far as the characters go, a bit more of something that would make the reader start rooting for and fall in love (or hate) with. I think the potential is there, but maybe needs to be fleshed out a bit more.
Something that’s drawn me to the book immediately was the gorgeous cover - I mean just look at it!! It screams fantasy, and that’s exactly what I got.
I found Rising Shadows to fall into the 'typical fantasy' genre for the most part. That isn’t necessarly a bad thing - as by picking up a book from a specific genre you also expect and want some specific things. But some elements ended up feeling a bit generic and/or repetitive here.
The book has the typical 'medieval' feel to it that you often get in fantasy stories. The armies and weapons and fights as well as the epic fantasy journey are all part of it. So, if you are looking for a fantasy world to get lost into, Rising Shadows could be the book for you!
However, what I found a bit unfitting was that some of the dialogue felt a bit too modern to fit in with the setting. I also had the impression that a round or two with an editor could do the book good as I found some sentences to be a bit long, too complex or clunky.
Overall though, this is an easy and enjoyable read if you are looking for a typical fantasy. You get the typical quest, interesting characters, many fights (but not too much (graphic) violence (or romance)), making it a pretty clean read.
3.5 stars from me, downgrading it to 3 to fit in with the Goodreads rating system.
** Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for a blogtour. Big thank you to the author and the tour organiser for my ebook and spot on the tour (none of which influenced my review in any way).
October 5, 2022
It took me a while to get into this one. I think that is down to the fact that it started out in a very similar way to a hundred other fantasies. You know, a big battle a tough general kicking the evil bad guys butts etc. And being honest I’m not sure if it ever fully stepped away from the been there done that before vibe. However it is a tried and true formulae for a reason. It works. As I went along I found myself getting more engaged in the plot. The world is quite vast and diverse and the word building is done well.
Each kingdom is different, unique and well thought out. And I feel like there are a lot of echoes of some of the old Conan the Barbarian stories I love so much in this, with all these ancient kingdoms and the long dead king raised back from the dead and questing for powers that make make him unstoppable. Perhaps the more interesting part of the tale though is the less dramatic but a bit more subtle plotting and subterfuge surrounding Queen Dana Crystaloak and those wishing to usurp her.
Oh and for those who like a bit of romance. We have a love story between her and her general, Wariel Ritch too.
So overall this is in my opinion a good fantasy novel. There is nothing which I think really makes you sit up and say oh this is the book with the (insert something cool, unique, amazing) but what it does do it does well. If you like fantasy you will like this.
Thanks to the author and TWR for my copy
Each kingdom is different, unique and well thought out. And I feel like there are a lot of echoes of some of the old Conan the Barbarian stories I love so much in this, with all these ancient kingdoms and the long dead king raised back from the dead and questing for powers that make make him unstoppable. Perhaps the more interesting part of the tale though is the less dramatic but a bit more subtle plotting and subterfuge surrounding Queen Dana Crystaloak and those wishing to usurp her.
Oh and for those who like a bit of romance. We have a love story between her and her general, Wariel Ritch too.
So overall this is in my opinion a good fantasy novel. There is nothing which I think really makes you sit up and say oh this is the book with the (insert something cool, unique, amazing) but what it does do it does well. If you like fantasy you will like this.
Thanks to the author and TWR for my copy
February 10, 2021
What a fantastic book! Once this got going it was hard to put down, a welcome return to high fantasy for me and an interesting and absorbing story! Officially gets my seal of approval to read!
January 31, 2021
This book has been such a great ride!
The creativity put into the world is fascinating. We visited different kingdoms and each one had its own architecture, traditions, and specific details on its people. It is so pleasing to notice how much thought the author put into the book.
Particularly, I liked how organized the plot was developed. We followed the characters one place at a time, which let me experience each Kingdom at its fullest. But turns do happen and wow, I was so surprised with them, especially because they came from the characters and I became attached to them really fast in the book. And oh, the characters; the diversity in their beliefs and motivations is palpable and they feel like real people!
And I couldn't with that ending! Like, how much of a cliffhanger can someone manage? I love it! And I can't wait for the second book to be published!
The creativity put into the world is fascinating. We visited different kingdoms and each one had its own architecture, traditions, and specific details on its people. It is so pleasing to notice how much thought the author put into the book.
Particularly, I liked how organized the plot was developed. We followed the characters one place at a time, which let me experience each Kingdom at its fullest. But turns do happen and wow, I was so surprised with them, especially because they came from the characters and I became attached to them really fast in the book. And oh, the characters; the diversity in their beliefs and motivations is palpable and they feel like real people!
And I couldn't with that ending! Like, how much of a cliffhanger can someone manage? I love it! And I can't wait for the second book to be published!
February 17, 2021
Rising Shadows is the first book in the Pillar of Creation series by Phillip Blackwater. It is the story of a quest to find five keys hidden inside golden statues, each one in a different city on the continent of Exitium. The main person searching for these keys is a long dead King of the Ethulan race, Medregal Tergrast, in the hopes that these keys will open up the gate to the Afterworld and allow his army of souls to pass through. His soul has been brought back to life in the body of an elf, along with his five undead acolytes who have performed hundreds of sacrifices in order to have him back among them.
This is also the story of a proud career general of the Human Army, Wariel Ritch. He is in love with his Queen, Dana Crystaloak but unable to unite with her due to some old laws, which she is keen to change in order that he may rule by her side. Queen Dana is descended from the Guide - the goddess of the Human religion, Guidhism. The religion “spoke against people being in love and intimate outside of a union”, and law prevented a queen from uniting with a general.
The continent of Exitium, in which this story takes place, is inhabited by Humans, Elves, Ethulans, Dwarves and Norhdrans. The locations have been carefully and well thought through by the author and each land is very different from the last. A map of the continent is included at the beginning of the book.
The story is well-paced with lots of different events occurring right from the beginning. It also has an intriguing magic system, the Shards of Creation which are primarily wielded by Elves. The humans covet this power and it is hoped that by sending General Ritch to Aleza, the prime Elven city to train some of their warriors, in exchange the Humans will receive aid from the Elven shard warriors to defend their land from the marauding Ethulans.
There is a secondary story running alongside the race for the keys. It is the desire by Warold and certain other members of the Human Council of Nine to overthrow Queen Dana and replace her with her cousin, Lidia, sister to Wayne, who leads the Queen’s guard. This storyline is heavy on the politics of the court and I found it a little too much of an info dump. I imagine in subsequent books this storyline will come into its own, however. Warold manages to persuade the corrupt Bishop over to his way of thinking, asking him to denounce the Queen and have his Faithsters do the same.
One thing I found a little jarring while reading this book was the use of certain typically American words. A couple of the characters often use the word “sure” in their conversations: “Rumours sure spread fast” and I also spotted “gotten”, which stood out to me as not fitting into the typical fantasy landscape. At one point Wariel says “Whatever. You have some explaining to do” which sounds more like a bratty teenager than an Army General. I think an Editor would be able to help polish up the language and make the flow of the conversations a little less jarring.
All in all, Rising Shadows is a very imaginative and well thought out epic fantasy story from a debut author, containing all the fantasy elements you could ask for: conflict between races; Elves; Dwarves; fantastical creatures (griffins, sand wyrms, Skrendar and wendigoes); an undead king; a quest; castle politics and a queen’s forbidden love for her general, even the mail is delivered via eagles!
This is also the story of a proud career general of the Human Army, Wariel Ritch. He is in love with his Queen, Dana Crystaloak but unable to unite with her due to some old laws, which she is keen to change in order that he may rule by her side. Queen Dana is descended from the Guide - the goddess of the Human religion, Guidhism. The religion “spoke against people being in love and intimate outside of a union”, and law prevented a queen from uniting with a general.
The continent of Exitium, in which this story takes place, is inhabited by Humans, Elves, Ethulans, Dwarves and Norhdrans. The locations have been carefully and well thought through by the author and each land is very different from the last. A map of the continent is included at the beginning of the book.
The story is well-paced with lots of different events occurring right from the beginning. It also has an intriguing magic system, the Shards of Creation which are primarily wielded by Elves. The humans covet this power and it is hoped that by sending General Ritch to Aleza, the prime Elven city to train some of their warriors, in exchange the Humans will receive aid from the Elven shard warriors to defend their land from the marauding Ethulans.
There is a secondary story running alongside the race for the keys. It is the desire by Warold and certain other members of the Human Council of Nine to overthrow Queen Dana and replace her with her cousin, Lidia, sister to Wayne, who leads the Queen’s guard. This storyline is heavy on the politics of the court and I found it a little too much of an info dump. I imagine in subsequent books this storyline will come into its own, however. Warold manages to persuade the corrupt Bishop over to his way of thinking, asking him to denounce the Queen and have his Faithsters do the same.
One thing I found a little jarring while reading this book was the use of certain typically American words. A couple of the characters often use the word “sure” in their conversations: “Rumours sure spread fast” and I also spotted “gotten”, which stood out to me as not fitting into the typical fantasy landscape. At one point Wariel says “Whatever. You have some explaining to do” which sounds more like a bratty teenager than an Army General. I think an Editor would be able to help polish up the language and make the flow of the conversations a little less jarring.
All in all, Rising Shadows is a very imaginative and well thought out epic fantasy story from a debut author, containing all the fantasy elements you could ask for: conflict between races; Elves; Dwarves; fantastical creatures (griffins, sand wyrms, Skrendar and wendigoes); an undead king; a quest; castle politics and a queen’s forbidden love for her general, even the mail is delivered via eagles!
November 3, 2022
A brand new fantasy series, The Pillar of Creation, starts with book one, titled Rising Shadows. I have found a love for fantasy novels over the last few years. Before this I avoided them usually. Looking back I never realised how many great books I was missing out on.
Rising Shadows looked like a book I didn't want to miss out on. The cover of this book is gorgeous and really gave me the fantasy feeling, I had to start reading to see if the story was as good as the cover.
First thing I have to say, the world building is excellent. Phillip Blackwater has definitely kept his eye on the details. The world, the characters, the different kingdoms each either their own unique ways and architecture. I was in awe with the details. Each character is well fleshed out and I was with them throughout. Each with their own beliefs and different motivations, I found it easy to connect to them.
A novel with several story threads that just created more depth. The magic system is an intriguing one that is used by the elves and one that the humans want to have the use of too. I loved learning about it.
A fantasy from a debut author that ticked all my boxes, with an ending that leaves me impatiently waiting for the next book in this new series!
Thanks to The Write Reads and the author for my copy of the book.
Rising Shadows looked like a book I didn't want to miss out on. The cover of this book is gorgeous and really gave me the fantasy feeling, I had to start reading to see if the story was as good as the cover.
First thing I have to say, the world building is excellent. Phillip Blackwater has definitely kept his eye on the details. The world, the characters, the different kingdoms each either their own unique ways and architecture. I was in awe with the details. Each character is well fleshed out and I was with them throughout. Each with their own beliefs and different motivations, I found it easy to connect to them.
A novel with several story threads that just created more depth. The magic system is an intriguing one that is used by the elves and one that the humans want to have the use of too. I loved learning about it.
A fantasy from a debut author that ticked all my boxes, with an ending that leaves me impatiently waiting for the next book in this new series!
Thanks to The Write Reads and the author for my copy of the book.
September 28, 2022
The Pillar Creation: Rising Shadows has all the elements you want in the first instalment of an entertaining epic fantasy.
We have some great world-building, with multiple kingdoms and cultures. We have dwarves, elves, humans, Norhdrans and Ethulans. All these various cultures and people live on a great landmass known as Exitium. We have a proud and nobleman general Wariel Ritch and Dana, the queen he loves but cannot wed and we have an ancient king risen from the dead seeking to gain control the shards of creation and so recapture his former powers.
The writing itself was fine but not exceptional and the characters were also not bad, but maybe just lacking the facets to make them really pop. But for a first book it is a solid, entertaining read and if you find it at a good price you will likely be well entertained.
I received this as part of a book tour but that has had no impact on my review
We have some great world-building, with multiple kingdoms and cultures. We have dwarves, elves, humans, Norhdrans and Ethulans. All these various cultures and people live on a great landmass known as Exitium. We have a proud and nobleman general Wariel Ritch and Dana, the queen he loves but cannot wed and we have an ancient king risen from the dead seeking to gain control the shards of creation and so recapture his former powers.
The writing itself was fine but not exceptional and the characters were also not bad, but maybe just lacking the facets to make them really pop. But for a first book it is a solid, entertaining read and if you find it at a good price you will likely be well entertained.
I received this as part of a book tour but that has had no impact on my review
October 4, 2022
Read the complete non-spoiler review of the book in my book blog : https://bookbugworld.com/review-risin...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews