The Provenance

Astar's Blade #1

by Joe Lyon

All his life, Almon knew, the Plum-Kilmer family had been haunted by spirits of the dead. For over 250 years, the ghost had cursed his family, but not Almon. Thinking the curse had finally run its course and may have skipped him. when the ghost finally does come, it strains his sanity. Unprepared, in growing madness, he is driven to the mountains. There, the ghost waits for him, either trying to save him or lead him to his doom.

This is the story of the Provenance, the Origin of Gods, Ghosts, and Demons who created an imperfect world. The story of forbidden knowledge, of unseen forces designed to stay hidden from mortals. If you continue, be warned, they know when they are being observed, and powerful enough to curse those foolhardy enough to be the observers.

So, open the pages carefully, dear reader, and prepare yourself, for the Provenance.

Genres: Fantasy

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 3, 2021

About the author

Joe Lyon was born in Springfield, Ohio, on May 13, 1965. He grew up creating monsters and characters for his stories and home-grown comic books. In this his first fictional epic fantasy series, Astar’s Blade, Joe creates a world some have called “wonderfully epic with great texturing and grand scope worldbuilding.” Joe has a master’s degree in business administration, is a former Military Intelligence School graduate, and is a US Army veteran. As a musician and prolific songwriter, he has written over 100 songs, a book of Poetry entitled Poetry is Cool, and the first book of the Astar’s Blade series: The Provenance. Joe currently lives in Aiken, SC, with his family.

Reviews

[Shh I am Reading Leticia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely what it said it was going to be: the build-up of the history of the Gods, Demons, Ghosts, all designed into the Provenance. Therefore, it is a bit of a slow burn, which is not a bad thing, personally. I don't mind a slow burn because the history was fascinating. I was a little bored by the Twin Gods, but Ehlona made up for it. She was the most human of all three of the Gods. Her sorrow as the Witch was incredibly relatable.

This is a book filled with exceptional world-building and it touches on all of the ideas of a birth of a religion, the balance of Good versus Evil. An awesome beginning to an epic fantasy if I do say so myself.

I received an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens for free and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Coco.V]

🎁 Books 1 & 2 in the Series are FREE on Amazon today (4/22/2022)! 🎁

[Vladimir Novak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like slow burn books that do not end to quickly.

[Jacob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received through Goodreads Giveaway. Had a hard time connecting with the characters, didn't really feel emotionally invested in their storylines. Interesting ending, no real resolution but as this is first book in a series I am sure that was by design. Definitely has the feel of a set-up novel, setting the stage for more storytelling to come.
The way the chapters of the book are set up, i.e. jumping around the chronological timeline, was jarring at times but not a deal-breaker. There was a helpful chronology of events in the appendix at the end to help keep the timeline straight.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good fantasy story, but the way the author told us is a little confused (ate least for me) and it tired me a lot. I give him points because he let clear in the beginning, how will be the book and it prepare us. ;)

As I said I got tired reading the book, I guess it's because here we need know the characters and theirs stories. But I missed some action, it's so slow for me.

I hope in the next books can have more action and not let me so tired reading it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! I was immediately immersed into this magical fantasy and could not quit turning the pages. Great world building and character development.

I look forward to more from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Fant Tom · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - The book drew me in a a quick glance but getting into it I realized that it was not what I thought it was. The style was not to my liking and jumped around too much. It was events happening to characters, but I couldn't bring myself to care about them.

[Joi Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

📒 THE PROVENANCE: ASTAR'S BLADE

AUTHOR- Joe Lyon
PUBLISHER- ‎LYONIC LLC
PUBLISHED ON- 30th July, 2021
GENRE- Fiction Fantasy
RATING- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ABOUT AUTHOR- Joe has written over 100 songs, a book of Poetry entitled Poetry is Cool, and the first book of the Astar’s Blade series: The Provenance. He has master’s degree in business administration, a former Military Intelligence School graduate, and is a US Army veteran.

BOOK DESCRIPTION- The Provenance is an immersive Epic Fantasy that tells the origins of the god’s and their magic. The adventures of their betrayals and the lasting consequences of their actions.

BOOK REVIEW-

Fiction books have long been a staple in the literary world, captivating readers with their imaginative storylines and vibrant characters.

A fictional fantasy world of Gods, Demons and ghosts. Almon, who is haunted by spirits of dead as the Plum- Kilmer family had been cursed for centuries. But somehow he convinced himself that he had escaped the curse until he encountered the ghost and his life just changed upside down. He ran to mountains in search of serenity and truth but destiny was waiting for him. What happened to him? Was he able to escape his doom?
This story of unseen forces,imperfect world,history, ghosts and Demons,the immortals and mortals is an epic yet complicated fantasy read.

Characters with supernatural powers have always been intriguing to readers. Whether they are capable of telekinesis or have the ability to control fire, their presence adds an exciting element to any storyline. These characters are often portrayed as both powerful and vulnerable, making them all the more relatable to readers.

Grammatical acuity, a strong & systematic arrangement and a mastery of syntax are all present in writer's arsenal. Insights of HRT (Human Recorded Time) was highlight for me.

Highly recommended!!

ALL VIEWS AND OPINIONS ARE OF MY OWN AND HONEST.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
🌟 ~4 of 5 stars
۰
"The Provenance" is book I of "Astar's Blade" - an epic fantasy series written by Joe Lyon, published at LYONIC LLC.
Fans of fantasy will appreciate this well-written storyline and the opening volume of this series. Joe Lyon has a good imagination and as a lover of fantasy, I enjoyed his created fictional world and his characters. 🤍
۰
ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ:
I'm totally fascinated about how gorgeous the bookcover is. It looks so beautiful and mystical. 🥰🤭✨
۰
ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ/ᴍʏ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ:
ᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛꜱ ✅
ᴘʟᴀʏʟɪꜱᴛ ✅
ᴍᴀᴘ ✅
This book is written in four acts. Each of the four acts contains a subtitle and an excerpt from the 'Witch's Songbook'. A glossary can also be found at the end of the book.
At first it was a little bit hard to connect all the new information but after some time I could enjoy it. 💁‍♀️
۰
ᴄᴏɴᴄʟᴜꜱɪᴏɴ:
I enjoyed "The Provenance" so much, loved the world-building, the plot build-up and the thing I enjoyed the most were the character development.
۰
🤍🤍🤍
ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ: 5/5
ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ: 3,5/5
ᴘʟᴏᴛ: ~4/5
ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ: 4 /5
🤍🤍🤍

[Brian Mcclain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid start to a series full of world building of a pretty cool world of Gods and Demons and ghosts. The history was cool and set up a pretty awesome setting and that made up for a little bit lacking in terms of some of the characters. Definitely interested in furthering the journey.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some fantasy books sweep you up in action; this one lingers in your bones. The Provenance reads like a memory half-remembered—a ghost story wrapped in legacy, mythology, and quiet grief. It’s not loud or hurried. Instead, it traces a son’s journey through loss and mystery with the steady patience of ancient legends. The timelines blur, the gods rise, and somewhere in the silence, a question forms: What if destiny is something you inherit, even if you never asked for it? Atmospheric, thoughtful, and resonant, this is a fantasy that doesn't shout—it hums.

[Tiffany Tinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on goodreads. Very interesting read.