Seachild

by Kevan Kenneth Bowkett

When two of the high elite of the Sunrise Shore have an illicit, torrid affair, they start a chain reaction that could consume their lives—and their realms. A child is born—which according to the carefully-guarded genealogies should never have been—and Koryati, the mother, and her infant daughter must vanish into hiding to prevent disaster.But her daughter is Shanga of ancient prophecy—potentially a weapon with the power to shake down the thrones of the Earth.And those ever lusting for power will pursue her with relentless patience and the master tracker’s art.With demons, traitors, and soulless zealots on her shortening trail, Koryati—and her few friends—must race to keep herself and her child out of clutches that would turn the girl into a slave exploited for the powers given her by the gods.A fan of Game of Thrones or The White Tower? Then you’ll love Seachild.Complete with maps, timeline, glossary, and other appendices—like all good epic fantasies.Not suitable for readers under 14.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2020

Reviews

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 overall. This is an ambitious debut novel, and the writing, the language, the sheer creative artistry is truly astonishing. However, I do have a small quibble with the flow of the storyline. There is so much to take in that I found it confusing in parts; and also wished for the action to move the story forward at a faster clip. (I resisted the urge to skip, because I didn’t want to miss anything.) Also I must confess, fantasy is not my forte. I prefer speculative SF or literary drama, so, ill be it for me to criticize what I don’t understand. I realize that traditionally the fantasy genre lends itself to long and winding sagas often of epic proportions; and author Kevan Bowkett has achieved an amazing goal by bringing his vividly imagined empire on the planet Halaeon to a life that transports his readers to the world of Rainbow woman, Anishva-orlo and her cousin Koryati, who will later go by the alias Reonlo to hide her identity and safeguard her illicit child. I love those names, and the story of the blue people with their affinity to the waters of the Sunrise Shore. The telling details, the native languages, all the names of people and places evoke this mysteriously challenging society with its officious groups like The Society of the Ear intent on dominating and bending the populace to it’s will. The ending is gripping with action filled drama, and a hint of what is in store for the wonder child in Volume 2. This series is a must read for fantasy fans, and I look forward to reading further reviews here in the near future.

[Mackenzie Maczko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely everything I could ask for in a YA fantasy novel. Action, adventure, and details allure strong mental imagery that sucks you in and make it impossible to put it down even just for a second. Kevan Kenneth Bowkett's style of writing reminds me a lot of Tolkien's writing style. This series is a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy novels. The ending is so action-filled and gives you a glimpse of what is waiting for the Wonder Child in the sequel.

Thank you to Voracious Readers Only for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for an Honest Unbiased Opinion of a review.

[Rae Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything my adult mind wants in a "young adult" fantasy novel. Elevated reading level, action and adventure, intricate details to invoke strong mental imagery and had me hooked so fast. I really enjoyed the Tolkien level of writing, with a modern flow to it. I'd really love to see this turned into a tv series

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the action and adventure in this book. It was a little confusing in the beginning, but the rest of the book makes up for it.
The detailed images bring the book to life right before you. Great world building.
I would love to live by the shoreline with ruby sand dollars.
I think this would make a great TV series.