What do you think?
Rate this book
FIRST CHASM: A Simple Harpy Hunt
‘Where the Pale Towers couldn’t reach—the Sin Binders did.’ Daren is a nineteen-year-old military trainee, fresh out of Illustrander’s Pillar Academy, carrying the transitionary rank of ‘Warrant Officer,’ ready to ascend among the ranks of the Sin Binders; the royal guard of Illustrander’s Pale Towers. In order to complete his transition into officership, Daren is assigned to a squad and is called upon to fulfill a contract to hunt down a flock of harpies that have been tormenting the peaceful settlements around the peaks of Karnerk Rise. But, having lived his entire life behind the safety of Illustrander’s great granite walls and with the unexpected appearance of an Alpha Chasmal, Daren soon discovers that the world outside the capital is more vast and perplexing than he’d ever imagined. The seemingly simple hunt turns into something more convoluting and far-reaching than he will ever know, and the events of it will leave a lasting impact for the rest of his life. “The red threads, Daren. When the time comes, embrace them—let them entwine. Let them twist and interweave on the tapestry of time.”
‘First A Simple Harpy Hunt’ is a Dark Fantasy, novella meant to set up character arcs and world-building that will be revisited and expanded upon in the series ‘The Blood Chasms of Illustrander.’
‘First A Simple Harpy Hunt’ is a Dark Fantasy, novella meant to set up character arcs and world-building that will be revisited and expanded upon in the series ‘The Blood Chasms of Illustrander.’
97 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2020
3 people want to read
About the author
Michael G. Karabinis
1 book1 followerMichael G. Karabinis is a Dark Fantasy author from the Greek island of Crete, the largest island in Greece. His interests, apart from writing and reading, include video gaming, astronomy, and physics.
After having received his degree in PC software programming—a profession he never pursued—and served the mandatory conscription period in the Greek armed forces, Michael began working on jobs that had nothing to do with writing.
He took an interest in writing in the Summer of 2019, during a rare night-shift of low workload due to a power blackout. He had often thought of keeping a journal of his Lucid Dreams which have always been a big part of his life, as he’s had them daily since he was a preschooler.
It all started with a lucid dream where three characters crossed paths inside a dark mansion and started fighting—I know, right? Following the advice of an old friend, Michael wanted to recreate that dream sequence in writing, as it had been especially vivid and exciting, setting the gears of his imagination spiralling out of control. That scene was supposed to be a single paragraph of maybe 300 words… It ended up being an oversized, full-blown chapter of 10000 words and is now acting as the genesis of his Dark Fantasy series, ‘The Blood Chasms of Illustrander.’ A series of novellas and novels heavily inspired by Greek Mythology and Folklore from around the world, with an emphasis on vampire themes.
After having received his degree in PC software programming—a profession he never pursued—and served the mandatory conscription period in the Greek armed forces, Michael began working on jobs that had nothing to do with writing.
He took an interest in writing in the Summer of 2019, during a rare night-shift of low workload due to a power blackout. He had often thought of keeping a journal of his Lucid Dreams which have always been a big part of his life, as he’s had them daily since he was a preschooler.
It all started with a lucid dream where three characters crossed paths inside a dark mansion and started fighting—I know, right? Following the advice of an old friend, Michael wanted to recreate that dream sequence in writing, as it had been especially vivid and exciting, setting the gears of his imagination spiralling out of control. That scene was supposed to be a single paragraph of maybe 300 words… It ended up being an oversized, full-blown chapter of 10000 words and is now acting as the genesis of his Dark Fantasy series, ‘The Blood Chasms of Illustrander.’ A series of novellas and novels heavily inspired by Greek Mythology and Folklore from around the world, with an emphasis on vampire themes.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 22, 2020
Review…' First Chasm: A Simple Harpy Hunt' by Michael G. Karabinis
Rating: 3.65 (rounded off to 4 stars).... 73 / 100.
A 19-year-old Daren is a military academy grown trainee warrant officer. He is unexposed to the real world because of his protected upbringing inside a fort. Being due for a promotion to become a prestigious Lieutenant, he has been assigned a challenging task, the real purpose behind it is unknown to him.
A nest of harpies often kill the live cattle stock, thus disturbing the peace of cattle herders in settlements around a mountain. Daren has to hunt them down. To aid the process in that mission, he is supported by three military personnel... a 60-year-old Sergeant Fran, a jealous low-ranked Armon, and Armon's schoolmate Anthia.
During the expedition, there is travelling in much the same vein -- they walk, they rest, they talk, and they climb through dangerous terrains helping each other. They pass through ruined village statues and monuments that dot the landscape. Then they spot a Gamayun …" Yara " with 'prophetic powers' ...'woman's head' … 'stunning collection of colourful feathers' …' imitating human voices'. They befriend her. Though they manage to kill a few harpies, their real challenge comes in the form of a Gryphon, an evil Alpha Chasmal with…' four intimidating legs' …' each hair resembling an oversized needle.'
Then, what happened? Who survived the attack? What did Daren learn?
The novella, a dark fantasy, written in the third person, has a simple plot but has good readability with some fluid narrations. The author has been able to give each character their own distinctive voice and personality. It has some originality features. It has good entertainment value with a good portrayal of a subtle sub-story of the love Anthia has for Daren, whereas Armon has it for Anthia. A good description of Yara and Gryphon, and the battle scene between the squad and the Gryphon, is a visual treat as if they are in front of you!...wholly absorbing towards a natural climax!!
I liked this particular book because: a) There is a perilous adventure. b) Well depicted humane consideration of helping a person in dire need though jealousy was ruling the mind! c) Courage exhibited by all the 3 young characters against the formidable force of Gryphon. d) Amazing Yara ...(though I wish her prophetic character could have been detailed out in this first novella (of the series) itself).
This is the author's maiden attempt but amazingly powerful and fresh. I enjoyed some really beautiful moments when the party members helped each other during the blood-chilling crisis. I liked the fun when the characters interacted with each other in their own characteristic ways.
My favourite line: "And I had just started getting acquainted with this whole ‘freedom’ thing that Anthia seemed so passionate about."
Sure, there are some things that may not enthuse the readers. The author could have added some more good flavours and twists to make the story more interesting. The narrative had some drags and the story lacked momentum initially till the squad spotted Yara. However, I relished the reading experience after that incident. I think a balance between the narratives and the dialogues in each page could have kept the reader more excited. True, the author's cryptic narrations in some places have disturbed the flow. I must admit that I zoned out a bit.
However, do I recommend this as a good book? Yes, if you persevere until the squad spots Yara. In my opinion, the novel started being engaging from this checkpoint onwards. Read it to understand for yourself. Being the first attempt of the author, I had my own reservations, but the novel has managed to surpass my expectations.
My rating is based on the true happiness I derived when I read the novella leaving aside the flaws. I do possess a soft corner for the creators… I mean the authors. Fantasy is my all-time favourite genre as it's filled with fantastic creativity from an author. And for pure escapism, it provides me to go out of the "real world" during reading. Hence, I don't undermine the efforts of any good author as it's almost impossible for an avid reader to do so.
Rating: 3.65 (rounded off to 4 stars).... 73 / 100.
A 19-year-old Daren is a military academy grown trainee warrant officer. He is unexposed to the real world because of his protected upbringing inside a fort. Being due for a promotion to become a prestigious Lieutenant, he has been assigned a challenging task, the real purpose behind it is unknown to him.
A nest of harpies often kill the live cattle stock, thus disturbing the peace of cattle herders in settlements around a mountain. Daren has to hunt them down. To aid the process in that mission, he is supported by three military personnel... a 60-year-old Sergeant Fran, a jealous low-ranked Armon, and Armon's schoolmate Anthia.
During the expedition, there is travelling in much the same vein -- they walk, they rest, they talk, and they climb through dangerous terrains helping each other. They pass through ruined village statues and monuments that dot the landscape. Then they spot a Gamayun …" Yara " with 'prophetic powers' ...'woman's head' … 'stunning collection of colourful feathers' …' imitating human voices'. They befriend her. Though they manage to kill a few harpies, their real challenge comes in the form of a Gryphon, an evil Alpha Chasmal with…' four intimidating legs' …' each hair resembling an oversized needle.'
Then, what happened? Who survived the attack? What did Daren learn?
The novella, a dark fantasy, written in the third person, has a simple plot but has good readability with some fluid narrations. The author has been able to give each character their own distinctive voice and personality. It has some originality features. It has good entertainment value with a good portrayal of a subtle sub-story of the love Anthia has for Daren, whereas Armon has it for Anthia. A good description of Yara and Gryphon, and the battle scene between the squad and the Gryphon, is a visual treat as if they are in front of you!...wholly absorbing towards a natural climax!!
I liked this particular book because: a) There is a perilous adventure. b) Well depicted humane consideration of helping a person in dire need though jealousy was ruling the mind! c) Courage exhibited by all the 3 young characters against the formidable force of Gryphon. d) Amazing Yara ...(though I wish her prophetic character could have been detailed out in this first novella (of the series) itself).
This is the author's maiden attempt but amazingly powerful and fresh. I enjoyed some really beautiful moments when the party members helped each other during the blood-chilling crisis. I liked the fun when the characters interacted with each other in their own characteristic ways.
My favourite line: "And I had just started getting acquainted with this whole ‘freedom’ thing that Anthia seemed so passionate about."
Sure, there are some things that may not enthuse the readers. The author could have added some more good flavours and twists to make the story more interesting. The narrative had some drags and the story lacked momentum initially till the squad spotted Yara. However, I relished the reading experience after that incident. I think a balance between the narratives and the dialogues in each page could have kept the reader more excited. True, the author's cryptic narrations in some places have disturbed the flow. I must admit that I zoned out a bit.
However, do I recommend this as a good book? Yes, if you persevere until the squad spots Yara. In my opinion, the novel started being engaging from this checkpoint onwards. Read it to understand for yourself. Being the first attempt of the author, I had my own reservations, but the novel has managed to surpass my expectations.
My rating is based on the true happiness I derived when I read the novella leaving aside the flaws. I do possess a soft corner for the creators… I mean the authors. Fantasy is my all-time favourite genre as it's filled with fantastic creativity from an author. And for pure escapism, it provides me to go out of the "real world" during reading. Hence, I don't undermine the efforts of any good author as it's almost impossible for an avid reader to do so.
Displaying 1 of 1 review