What do you think?
Rate this book
Netherdei #1
The Shadow Sect
Falken Calder dreams of becoming Immortal.
But as a mere scullery boy in service of the fabled Ardent Lunar Sect, his chances of rising through the ranks are slim. There is only one way he can take up the title of cultivator – to Awaken before he comes of age. Time is already running out.
When a grand tournament for the magicking arts is announced, bringing old foes to Albion’s shores - rumours of betrayal and war send Falken on a journey in the unknown. There he unearths the mysteries of an ancient, long-forgotten sect – whose secrets offer hope – and the chance for Falken to develop powers that none have seen in an age.
But Falken’s newfound powers may not be enough, for nightmare creatures, dark assassins and even the undead stalk the lands of Netherdei.
And this is only the beginning…
Fans of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher and Avatar: The Last Airbender will enjoy this vivid, masterful tale of magicking, cultivation and fantasy adventure, inspired by the worlds of Xianxia and Wuxia.
But as a mere scullery boy in service of the fabled Ardent Lunar Sect, his chances of rising through the ranks are slim. There is only one way he can take up the title of cultivator – to Awaken before he comes of age. Time is already running out.
When a grand tournament for the magicking arts is announced, bringing old foes to Albion’s shores - rumours of betrayal and war send Falken on a journey in the unknown. There he unearths the mysteries of an ancient, long-forgotten sect – whose secrets offer hope – and the chance for Falken to develop powers that none have seen in an age.
But Falken’s newfound powers may not be enough, for nightmare creatures, dark assassins and even the undead stalk the lands of Netherdei.
And this is only the beginning…
Fans of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher and Avatar: The Last Airbender will enjoy this vivid, masterful tale of magicking, cultivation and fantasy adventure, inspired by the worlds of Xianxia and Wuxia.
582 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2021
425 people are currently reading
1106 people want to read
About the author
Peter Hackshaw
3 books92 followersPeter Hackshaw is the author of two Amazon #1 Best Sellers: post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi novel, Ever Winter - also available as a multi award-winning audiobook performed by Dan Stevens (Marvel's Legion, Beauty and the Beast, Downton Abbey) and The Shadow Sect, book one of the masterful Western Cultivation/Progression Fantasy series, Netherdei - an international bestseller in 13 categories.
The Darkest Core - Netherdei book two, releases 12th October 2023.
Peter hails from Essex, England and loves Japanese whisky, old pubs, guitars and 8-bit games.
He began writing under a pen-name and developed his craft with a collaborative online Sci-Fi novel and a series of contemporary horror shorts, which featured in #1 Amazon anthologies.
His favourite book of all time is the revenge classic and masterpiece The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
The Darkest Core - Netherdei book two, releases 12th October 2023.
Peter hails from Essex, England and loves Japanese whisky, old pubs, guitars and 8-bit games.
He began writing under a pen-name and developed his craft with a collaborative online Sci-Fi novel and a series of contemporary horror shorts, which featured in #1 Amazon anthologies.
His favourite book of all time is the revenge classic and masterpiece The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 10, 2021
I tend to keep my eye on the LitRPG publishers, so when I saw a new book from Portal books, I decided to give it a try.
Wow.
Falken is a young lad who works with his father in a magical version of old England (Albion). His father dies to bandits with an arrow through the head, so an Eminent in the Ardent Lunar sect picks the boy off of his dead father and takes him to the sect, where he will be a servant for the rest of his days.
Falken has other ideas. Staff are allowed to cultivate but aren't given any help, and if they manage to clear all their meridians before their fifteenth birthday, they'll be allowed into the sect.
While all that is going on, Falken makes an enemy of the son of the second most powerful man in the kingdom. There are stirrings of a possible war, something that hasn't happened in twenty or thirty years. The Eminent who found him is sent off to find another eminent who now spends his time in taverns trying to forget about the atrocities of the war.
Falken finds the man, who takes him from town to town and tavern to tavern while training him a bit along the way.
I think I'll stop the recap there. A lot happens in this novel, and it easily could have been broken down into two or even three shorter novels.
What matters most (to me) is that the book has a timeless feel to it. I'm not going to compare it to other books or authors, but the story starts out like a number of traditionally published epic fantasies, and holds its own in comparison.
The writing is extremely well done, and I wondered at times whether the author had a dictionary of Olde English words next to him, because there are a few that I've never seen before. The editing is tight, and the characters seem to come alive on the page. There is a ton of action, but it never feels repetitive. Falken is faced with multiple enemies, and while his win against the eminent at the end was a bit of a freebie, the rest are solid. The world building is extremely well done. I only wish it had a map to follow along with Falken's journey.
Yeah, it's that good.
While this is a progression novel, it's not LitRPG. The progression is clear and not easy, which makes the successes all that much sweeter.
As it stands this is the best book I've read this year. Highly recommended 5/5*
Wow.
Falken is a young lad who works with his father in a magical version of old England (Albion). His father dies to bandits with an arrow through the head, so an Eminent in the Ardent Lunar sect picks the boy off of his dead father and takes him to the sect, where he will be a servant for the rest of his days.
Falken has other ideas. Staff are allowed to cultivate but aren't given any help, and if they manage to clear all their meridians before their fifteenth birthday, they'll be allowed into the sect.
While all that is going on, Falken makes an enemy of the son of the second most powerful man in the kingdom. There are stirrings of a possible war, something that hasn't happened in twenty or thirty years. The Eminent who found him is sent off to find another eminent who now spends his time in taverns trying to forget about the atrocities of the war.
Falken finds the man, who takes him from town to town and tavern to tavern while training him a bit along the way.
I think I'll stop the recap there. A lot happens in this novel, and it easily could have been broken down into two or even three shorter novels.
What matters most (to me) is that the book has a timeless feel to it. I'm not going to compare it to other books or authors, but the story starts out like a number of traditionally published epic fantasies, and holds its own in comparison.
The writing is extremely well done, and I wondered at times whether the author had a dictionary of Olde English words next to him, because there are a few that I've never seen before. The editing is tight, and the characters seem to come alive on the page. There is a ton of action, but it never feels repetitive. Falken is faced with multiple enemies, and while his win against the eminent at the end was a bit of a freebie, the rest are solid. The world building is extremely well done. I only wish it had a map to follow along with Falken's journey.
Yeah, it's that good.
While this is a progression novel, it's not LitRPG. The progression is clear and not easy, which makes the successes all that much sweeter.
As it stands this is the best book I've read this year. Highly recommended 5/5*
December 9, 2021
It was mainly blah but the action at the end made it good for me. Good times. *nods*
October 7, 2021
https://fanfiaddict.com/2021/10/07/re...
I would say this is actually a book of two parts. The first half (or thereabouts) follows a typical plotline similar to other books in series as we get introduced to the MC, Falken Calder through a misfortune. Then we follow the standard path of him being the underdog but perseveres through persistence and sheer will as he becomes part of sect but in a servitude role but still aspires to be a full member and cultivator. The book moves at a healthy pace as we learn more about the cultivation paths, the world in broader detail. It’s more of scene setting and has been done really well. I liked the prose but found it a bit different (though I really can’t put on loop on what’s different) and the mix of fantasy village speak and modern prose slightly needing more of my attention, but still it was good. He goes on quest, meets interesting people, develops more along his cultivation path and finally gains full membership to the sect, making good friends and bitter enemies along the way. And then we hear of a grand tournament being announced, which our MC obviously wants to win. it was a fairly good read till not, but nothing to to set it apart….Or just when I was starting to think so, they author throws a curve ball. Oh my!
This lead to the second part of the book, which just took off on a tangent I wasn’t expecting. The events cascade, the dominoes fall and the pace picks up to a blistering speed that I had to binge read till the end. The tone of the book turns a bit darker and the prose just relentlessly dragged me along with the MC as they try to keep their heads afloat the the flood of events, that threaten not just their survival, but of the whole world. This is where the book rises from a decent read to a very good book for me.
Overall, this is a very good addition to the genre and one I would gladly recommend! I’m waiting eagerly for the sequel!
I would say this is actually a book of two parts. The first half (or thereabouts) follows a typical plotline similar to other books in series as we get introduced to the MC, Falken Calder through a misfortune. Then we follow the standard path of him being the underdog but perseveres through persistence and sheer will as he becomes part of sect but in a servitude role but still aspires to be a full member and cultivator. The book moves at a healthy pace as we learn more about the cultivation paths, the world in broader detail. It’s more of scene setting and has been done really well. I liked the prose but found it a bit different (though I really can’t put on loop on what’s different) and the mix of fantasy village speak and modern prose slightly needing more of my attention, but still it was good. He goes on quest, meets interesting people, develops more along his cultivation path and finally gains full membership to the sect, making good friends and bitter enemies along the way. And then we hear of a grand tournament being announced, which our MC obviously wants to win. it was a fairly good read till not, but nothing to to set it apart….Or just when I was starting to think so, they author throws a curve ball. Oh my!
This lead to the second part of the book, which just took off on a tangent I wasn’t expecting. The events cascade, the dominoes fall and the pace picks up to a blistering speed that I had to binge read till the end. The tone of the book turns a bit darker and the prose just relentlessly dragged me along with the MC as they try to keep their heads afloat the the flood of events, that threaten not just their survival, but of the whole world. This is where the book rises from a decent read to a very good book for me.
Overall, this is a very good addition to the genre and one I would gladly recommend! I’m waiting eagerly for the sequel!
November 30, 2021
Perhaps I went into this book with high expectations, but the prose caught me off guard. The writing is really well done, and frankly some of the best I've read this year. However, it also made me realise that good prose and good story don't always go hand in hand.
The Shadow Sect is a cultivation novel set in a different world, but a lot of the names are similar to our own, and some places have been borrowed from English/German names and places. There is no problem with this, but it is really on the nose in some cases and is further exacerbated by the audiobook narrator.
The Shadow Sect follows young Falcon, an orphan of little to no means as he walks his path of cultivation. There's nothing wrong with this setting, and I'm a sucker for a good "Hero's Journey" tale, but the Shadow Sect suffers from a magic system that is badly explained which often feels like an afterthought as well as pacing that feels like the author is just dragging the story along for the sake of page count.
Since, I can't help but compare this to Cradle (as it is often seen as the gold standard for Western cultivation novels), this book seems shallow in terms of world building as well as character development, and it's such a shame because the author spends most of the time with the main character. There are some bright spots when the character shows some real substance, like when he is negotiating the delivery of kitchen goods, but those events are few and far in between.
Would I recommend this for cultivation novel lovers? No. The plot is generic with few to no surprises, the characters are quite bland leaving much to be desired for and the pacing makes reading this book a chore.
The Shadow Sect is a cultivation novel set in a different world, but a lot of the names are similar to our own, and some places have been borrowed from English/German names and places. There is no problem with this, but it is really on the nose in some cases and is further exacerbated by the audiobook narrator.
The Shadow Sect follows young Falcon, an orphan of little to no means as he walks his path of cultivation. There's nothing wrong with this setting, and I'm a sucker for a good "Hero's Journey" tale, but the Shadow Sect suffers from a magic system that is badly explained which often feels like an afterthought as well as pacing that feels like the author is just dragging the story along for the sake of page count.
Since, I can't help but compare this to Cradle (as it is often seen as the gold standard for Western cultivation novels), this book seems shallow in terms of world building as well as character development, and it's such a shame because the author spends most of the time with the main character. There are some bright spots when the character shows some real substance, like when he is negotiating the delivery of kitchen goods, but those events are few and far in between.
Would I recommend this for cultivation novel lovers? No. The plot is generic with few to no surprises, the characters are quite bland leaving much to be desired for and the pacing makes reading this book a chore.
November 22, 2021
KU Review
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis. I hate trying to define my enjoyment and describe facets of it that would appeal to someone else. It is simply not my style. But for the sake of those fishing for clues:
Character development: exceptional
Tone: superb cultivation novel more focused on the story than the progression
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis. I hate trying to define my enjoyment and describe facets of it that would appeal to someone else. It is simply not my style. But for the sake of those fishing for clues:
Character development: exceptional
Tone: superb cultivation novel more focused on the story than the progression
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
October 5, 2021
The first half of this book is a great example of traditional story telling where the MC experiences a tragic loss, then must persevere through tedious labor until he (or she) experiences a transformative journey. David Edding's Belgariad is a good example of this. Peter Hackshaw nails the technique then in the second half of the book moves on to a Hunger Games like transition before upping the ante and having Falken, the MC, really step up. This is a wonderful first step in what should be an epic series. This is a real winner.
October 28, 2021
A Wonderful Novel !
Peter you have written an inspired novel of wonder and created a world and it's people and wisps that made me cheer , cry and laugh . You are a great author and I can't wait to read more . Please share with me and others more of an talented writer . All you readers out there join in on this journey and travel to a new world . Thanks Peter for sharing this world and making me feel !
Reed
Peter you have written an inspired novel of wonder and created a world and it's people and wisps that made me cheer , cry and laugh . You are a great author and I can't wait to read more . Please share with me and others more of an talented writer . All you readers out there join in on this journey and travel to a new world . Thanks Peter for sharing this world and making me feel !
Reed
November 14, 2021
The book started out slow but I stuck with it as it was clearly world and character building but boy was it worth it. The book was excellent and once it gets going it doesn’t stop. If the author keeps with the style and pace of his writing he can’t fail. Excellent progression fantasy with great characters.
October 14, 2021
Solid
Well that was a ride, started kinda slowish. And then suddenly I couldn't put it down. Great build up to the end. Can't wait for the next in the series.
Solid characters just enough details to make you buy in. Good pacing with a solid build up to the end. Well done
Well that was a ride, started kinda slowish. And then suddenly I couldn't put it down. Great build up to the end. Can't wait for the next in the series.
Solid characters just enough details to make you buy in. Good pacing with a solid build up to the end. Well done
October 31, 2021
Great intro to a new series
What a great start to the story. There’s so much more to uncover and read about, I’m anxiously awaiting the next book! The author did a great job building characters while keeping the pace moving fast enough to keep me turning pages.
What a great start to the story. There’s so much more to uncover and read about, I’m anxiously awaiting the next book! The author did a great job building characters while keeping the pace moving fast enough to keep me turning pages.
October 7, 2021
Excellent
A great lead in to an engaging and twisting plot. An entertaining array of characters. Read it you won’t be disappointed. Cockalorum my friends cockalorum.
A great lead in to an engaging and twisting plot. An entertaining array of characters. Read it you won’t be disappointed. Cockalorum my friends cockalorum.
October 10, 2021
Great start
Unique cultivation system , unique way for the MC to cultivate and get stronger . Can’t wait for the next one.
Unique cultivation system , unique way for the MC to cultivate and get stronger . Can’t wait for the next one.
October 18, 2021
Cracking start!!
A fresh angle on the cultivation genre. An incredibly gripping read that was done and dusted in one day it was that hard to put down.
A fresh angle on the cultivation genre. An incredibly gripping read that was done and dusted in one day it was that hard to put down.
April 12, 2022
Most cultivation novels I've read are basically 'cheat your way to the top', and this one didn't disappoint xD
It was a fun read watching the protagonist learn from multiple sources and find their unique path.
The ominous title really sets the mood for the kind of story you expect and delivers on the whole mystery aspect. Sets up the plot for future novels too. Cant wait to see what happens next.
It was a fun read watching the protagonist learn from multiple sources and find their unique path.
The ominous title really sets the mood for the kind of story you expect and delivers on the whole mystery aspect. Sets up the plot for future novels too. Cant wait to see what happens next.
April 11, 2025
Awesome read and very few typos. A cultivation story following underdog Falken Calder and his journey to becoming a great cultivator like none other. The world building is great, the mythos was mythical, and the characters were memorable and well liked and hated. Happy I stumbled across this gem and I hope the author has more gas in the tank.
November 2, 2021
A most pleasant surprise
I’ll be honest, I’m very picky in these types of books. With so many very similar books in the genre, it is hard to find a unique book. Two main things stood out, the characters and the world building.
The characters were at first a bit hard to get used to, combined with a unique writing style it immediately caught my attention. They truly build on themselves and I felt as if I got to know them through their dialogue. It didn’t feel awkward, meaningless, or shallow, quite the opposite. This truly started to shine about midway through the book.
Additionally, the world building followed a decent pace. Introducing you and familiarizing you at the starts and slowly expanding the scope to truly understand the world and it’s conflicts.
The progression starts off slow, which might push you away, but trust me it’s worth it. This was a book I had trouble putting down and can’t wait for the next.
I’ll be honest, I’m very picky in these types of books. With so many very similar books in the genre, it is hard to find a unique book. Two main things stood out, the characters and the world building.
The characters were at first a bit hard to get used to, combined with a unique writing style it immediately caught my attention. They truly build on themselves and I felt as if I got to know them through their dialogue. It didn’t feel awkward, meaningless, or shallow, quite the opposite. This truly started to shine about midway through the book.
Additionally, the world building followed a decent pace. Introducing you and familiarizing you at the starts and slowly expanding the scope to truly understand the world and it’s conflicts.
The progression starts off slow, which might push you away, but trust me it’s worth it. This was a book I had trouble putting down and can’t wait for the next.
October 6, 2021
read it
This book is awesome. An adventure that needs the sequel to come out now. Everyone read this book so I can see the get the sequel quicker.
This book is awesome. An adventure that needs the sequel to come out now. Everyone read this book so I can see the get the sequel quicker.
October 9, 2021
A pleasant surprise
Was a bit slow to start, but once it got going it was really good. Very happy I gave it a try!
Was a bit slow to start, but once it got going it was really good. Very happy I gave it a try!
October 13, 2021
great story
Loved the book. It’s a well told coming of age story and I love how it sets the stage for an epic series. Hopefully not too long of a wait for the next book!
Loved the book. It’s a well told coming of age story and I love how it sets the stage for an epic series. Hopefully not too long of a wait for the next book!
October 24, 2021
Starts steady, picks up great pace, and ends sprinting!
This book did take a bit to really get going, but I believe that most of the cultivation style novels do. I’ve found that by taking a little more time to get to know the character while they’re weak, it makes their process of gaining strength all the more sweet!
This book did take a bit to really get going, but I believe that most of the cultivation style novels do. I’ve found that by taking a little more time to get to know the character while they’re weak, it makes their process of gaining strength all the more sweet!
November 6, 2021
Good
This a book about a story more than it about a character. It’s written a little different than most and I think that helps it stand out.
This a book about a story more than it about a character. It’s written a little different than most and I think that helps it stand out.
November 17, 2021
Awesome read
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this one up as I haven’t read any of the authors other works and it’s not a litrpg. But I am glad I did. It was an epic coming of age cultivation story and I am excited to see where it goes in the next book.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this one up as I haven’t read any of the authors other works and it’s not a litrpg. But I am glad I did. It was an epic coming of age cultivation story and I am excited to see where it goes in the next book.
October 26, 2021
Excellent story
Well paced, brilliant laid out with well realised characters. The development and twist on a tale is spectacular, and is a really enjoyable cultivation and progression novel.
Well paced, brilliant laid out with well realised characters. The development and twist on a tale is spectacular, and is a really enjoyable cultivation and progression novel.
November 15, 2021
Fantastic
I loved every character in this book! A story of a boy who wanted more than life had given him. Reborn into a hero and excepted his journey. I would recommend this book! A great writer.
I loved every character in this book! A story of a boy who wanted more than life had given him. Reborn into a hero and excepted his journey. I would recommend this book! A great writer.
November 18, 2021
An enjoyable yarn!
Quite the enjoyable read, class tale of a boy overcoming odds and growing up as he does so. A tale of cultivation and challenge, of drunken warriors and magical powers. A tale that left me teary eyed in the first 15 pages! A promising start for this author in the genre, and I look forward to seeing where he goes from here! Hopefully you will enjoy Netherdai as much as I did!
Quite the enjoyable read, class tale of a boy overcoming odds and growing up as he does so. A tale of cultivation and challenge, of drunken warriors and magical powers. A tale that left me teary eyed in the first 15 pages! A promising start for this author in the genre, and I look forward to seeing where he goes from here! Hopefully you will enjoy Netherdai as much as I did!
November 21, 2021
great read
The story was excellent couldn’t put it down. However there are grammatical errors that spoil some of the flow of the story and being immersed in the book. Overall a great book
The story was excellent couldn’t put it down. However there are grammatical errors that spoil some of the flow of the story and being immersed in the book. Overall a great book
October 23, 2021
worth it
A Cultivation story that also feels like it would be a amazing video game. It’s different but good. Than you
A Cultivation story that also feels like it would be a amazing video game. It’s different but good. Than you
December 2, 2021
It is a good, honest book. Without any of the tricks that the "big", commercial writers use... No unnecessary parallel plot lines, unnatural time lines or abrupt end of the story! This writer took two years to write his second book, and you could feel it in the quality of the story: unhurried, yet alert, concentrated, yet relaxed... 5 Stars for the honest path and "mana" that his writer takes to bring something fresh to the world. I believe that, no matter what genre will be his next novel, it will be really good!
November 7, 2021
Well written book with a likable main character and a colourful cast of side characters. The tone of the first and second half are wildly different but it only goes to show how versatile Mr Hackshaw is as an author. The prose retains a consistently high quality throughout the book and except for a couple of minor printing mistakes I didn't find anything that would take away from the experience.
However, there is very little depth to the villains and the beginning is just a little slow.
Final Rating and thoughts- 3.5/5
I'm anticipating that the sequel will be a huge jump in quality as well as quantity.
However, there is very little depth to the villains and the beginning is just a little slow.
Final Rating and thoughts- 3.5/5
I'm anticipating that the sequel will be a huge jump in quality as well as quantity.
November 18, 2021
Wow
Great 1st book. Thoroughly enjoyed every page and can’t wait for the next book in the series! 100% would recommend
Great 1st book. Thoroughly enjoyed every page and can’t wait for the next book in the series! 100% would recommend
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews