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Greymantle Chronicles #4
Defender
Having returned to Earth from Greymantle's past with the skills needed to save his friends, he is confronted by unexpected discoveries that make him question everything he thought he knew about the world he was born on. When he returns to Greymantle with an unexpected passenger, he will need to overcome guild rivalries and infiltrate the enemy organization to put all the pieces into place to save his friends and his love. If it all goes according to plan, Nate will have his long-awaited confrontation with the bleeder agent who spent months trying to assassinate him and kill those he cares about!
Set in Greymantle, a unique world of swords and magic that is medieval in flavor but seen through the lens of a modern college student from Earth, the Greymantle Chronicles are an epic fantasy series on a high magic fantasy world where technology and science never existed. Yet, cities are cleaner, banking is done with magic tokens, floating carts are used to haul freight, and magic is a science in its own right.
Even Earth may not be as mundane as it seems despite a scarcity of mana. Now that Nate knows magic is real, he discovers that his home world has its share of magical beings, mysteries, and perhaps ancient connections to Greymantle.
Read less
Set in Greymantle, a unique world of swords and magic that is medieval in flavor but seen through the lens of a modern college student from Earth, the Greymantle Chronicles are an epic fantasy series on a high magic fantasy world where technology and science never existed. Yet, cities are cleaner, banking is done with magic tokens, floating carts are used to haul freight, and magic is a science in its own right.
Even Earth may not be as mundane as it seems despite a scarcity of mana. Now that Nate knows magic is real, he discovers that his home world has its share of magical beings, mysteries, and perhaps ancient connections to Greymantle.
Read less
- GenresFantasy
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2022
190 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
J. David Baxter
13 books37 followersJ David Baxter's career path has been as varied as it is intriguing. From the adrenaline-fueled days of falling off horses as a Renaissance Festival Jouster to managing teams and projects at Fortune 500 companies, his experiences are as diverse as they come. Armed with a degree in English and teaching certifications in English and History, J David has always been passionate about storytelling and education.
Most recently, J David lent his editorial expertise to the Stargate Role Playing Game Core Book produced by Wyvern Games. As a co-founder of Silver Paw Publishing, he is dedicated to helping new authors navigate the complexities of self-publishing, sharing his knowledge and experience to empower others.
J David writes in the Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and LitRPG genres, creating intricate tales that captivate and entertain readers.
Most recently, J David lent his editorial expertise to the Stargate Role Playing Game Core Book produced by Wyvern Games. As a co-founder of Silver Paw Publishing, he is dedicated to helping new authors navigate the complexities of self-publishing, sharing his knowledge and experience to empower others.
J David writes in the Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and LitRPG genres, creating intricate tales that captivate and entertain readers.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 11, 2024
The beginning of this book is horrible. Suddenly he has 100 past lives revealed to him? He is crying over destroying the Bane elf empire? So tired of authors writing an impossibly conflicted hero trying to justify their actions and crying about it. Cannot finish this book, this is an intentional error by the author. If you like a weak hero who endlessly struggles with all the destruction they cause after the fact, this is the book for you. The last book was getting tiresome, this one is just too much.
March 8, 2023
Excellent Saga
Nate goes to earth to get his sister. Mana is present but in very small amounts. He gathers enough to make it back to Greymantle where he sets plans in motion to rescue his friends and prevent a takeover of the kingdom. Battle, magic, and intrigue ensue. I like the action, humor, and romance. I look forward to the next book.
Nate goes to earth to get his sister. Mana is present but in very small amounts. He gathers enough to make it back to Greymantle where he sets plans in motion to rescue his friends and prevent a takeover of the kingdom. Battle, magic, and intrigue ensue. I like the action, humor, and romance. I look forward to the next book.
October 19, 2022
Five stars, if no other reason...
Than Craig, who is here to take you on a this Magical Tour of Greymantle. Please join him as he shows you the Castle, the Barracks, and , sigh, the strange new comer from another world.
Than Craig, who is here to take you on a this Magical Tour of Greymantle. Please join him as he shows you the Castle, the Barracks, and , sigh, the strange new comer from another world.
October 10, 2022
wonderful book
I really enjoyed this book. Great story. Great character development and progression. I really look forward to the next of the series.
I really enjoyed this book. Great story. Great character development and progression. I really look forward to the next of the series.
October 10, 2022
Very good read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who like magic and progression type of books with lots of action.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who like magic and progression type of books with lots of action.
October 10, 2022
Great
A great entry into the book series, I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book released.
A great entry into the book series, I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book released.
October 15, 2022
very good story, some plot issues resolved. Worth reading.
Much better book than the last one in the series. a little slow in the beginning, but the action does pick up. Glad to see the MC has become proficient instead of a whiny little baby which he was. I am also glad to see that these plot issues have been resolved and the story is moving on to the next arc. All the characters are still like a bowl and the little high school crush has also been resolved. For a grown college student, the MC was kind of acting like he was in middle school. Glad to see all this has been exercised in this book and maybe the next book will even be better than this one.
Much better book than the last one in the series. a little slow in the beginning, but the action does pick up. Glad to see the MC has become proficient instead of a whiny little baby which he was. I am also glad to see that these plot issues have been resolved and the story is moving on to the next arc. All the characters are still like a bowl and the little high school crush has also been resolved. For a grown college student, the MC was kind of acting like he was in middle school. Glad to see all this has been exercised in this book and maybe the next book will even be better than this one.
November 6, 2022
excellent series
I really enjoyed this series. Enough that I not only read the four available books in one weekend from KU. I then went back and bought them. Looks like this is going to be a really solid series worth the time.
I really enjoyed this series. Enough that I not only read the four available books in one weekend from KU. I then went back and bought them. Looks like this is going to be a really solid series worth the time.
April 1, 2023
I liked the story so far but the time travel to any time he wants made it ridiculous. Why didn't he go back to save his parents? So many other things made it unreadable for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2024
The story in this book is far more enjoyable than those of the first three books in this series.
The way the author has portrayed the protagonist leaves me completely puzzled.
I have lived in the U.S. for almost 7 full decades. In that time, I have only ONCE met a real person who was as sensitive to violence as this writer's main character (and that person was a Priest in South Dakota) appears to be. As I read about how conflicted the character is when he has to kill to protect himself and others that he cares about, it blows my mind.
The VAST majority of Americans that I have known in my life have adapted to be almost completely numb to death and violence. Do you see many adults break down in tears when they watch the evening news on TV? (Honey, can you grab me another beer when you return after the commercial?!) Heck, when I was just a 12 year old kid, I and my contemporaries would not have given a second thought to wacking someone who was lethally hostile to us, if we could get away with it. :-)
I have lived in many states (in rural and urban areas), and only that one person I previously mentioned would have broken down into a crying jag and started sucking their thumb the way this M.C. does in post battle settings. Sheesh!
I say all of this because I believe that authors should depict characters that behave in ways that real people/readers can relate to. To have this fictional character melt like a snowflake every time someone dies is not something many full grown adults in 2024 America can understand or relate to.
*I'm just sayin', here* Heh!
If the author wants to target his works to children (under 12 YOA in my old neighborhood :-), then I can see why he writes his characters this way. However, if the intent is to write for all ages, the author may wish to reconsider having his main protagonist break down in tears with a really bad case of PTSD in a fictional medieval (or real) world where the bad guys are doing the whole genocidal kegger party on a daily basis.
It is really hard for a protagonist to "save the world" and suck their thumb at the same time. Sociologically (or survival instinctively) speaking, I don't think that medieval/fantasy settings are the best places to have a Kleenex cry fest after every battle. :-)
I like the writing. I plan to read more books in this series. I just hope that the main character grows up in future books. No one in America has flaked out like this character does since Ozzie & Harriet was a brand new television show in the 1950s. :-)
The way the author has portrayed the protagonist leaves me completely puzzled.
I have lived in the U.S. for almost 7 full decades. In that time, I have only ONCE met a real person who was as sensitive to violence as this writer's main character (and that person was a Priest in South Dakota) appears to be. As I read about how conflicted the character is when he has to kill to protect himself and others that he cares about, it blows my mind.
The VAST majority of Americans that I have known in my life have adapted to be almost completely numb to death and violence. Do you see many adults break down in tears when they watch the evening news on TV? (Honey, can you grab me another beer when you return after the commercial?!) Heck, when I was just a 12 year old kid, I and my contemporaries would not have given a second thought to wacking someone who was lethally hostile to us, if we could get away with it. :-)
I have lived in many states (in rural and urban areas), and only that one person I previously mentioned would have broken down into a crying jag and started sucking their thumb the way this M.C. does in post battle settings. Sheesh!
I say all of this because I believe that authors should depict characters that behave in ways that real people/readers can relate to. To have this fictional character melt like a snowflake every time someone dies is not something many full grown adults in 2024 America can understand or relate to.
*I'm just sayin', here* Heh!
If the author wants to target his works to children (under 12 YOA in my old neighborhood :-), then I can see why he writes his characters this way. However, if the intent is to write for all ages, the author may wish to reconsider having his main protagonist break down in tears with a really bad case of PTSD in a fictional medieval (or real) world where the bad guys are doing the whole genocidal kegger party on a daily basis.
It is really hard for a protagonist to "save the world" and suck their thumb at the same time. Sociologically (or survival instinctively) speaking, I don't think that medieval/fantasy settings are the best places to have a Kleenex cry fest after every battle. :-)
I like the writing. I plan to read more books in this series. I just hope that the main character grows up in future books. No one in America has flaked out like this character does since Ozzie & Harriet was a brand new television show in the 1950s. :-)
October 29, 2022
Introduces the sister to the fantasy world. That is half of the book, that could have easily been dropped. Ever planned for a vaction? You have half a book to relive those exciting decisions...
The second half of the book was fun, if almost completely predictable.
I've gotten the feeling, with each additional book, that this series is more and more padding.
This is the last of the series that I will bother to read. I have the feeling that I can predict the plots of the next three to four books.
The second half of the book was fun, if almost completely predictable.
I've gotten the feeling, with each additional book, that this series is more and more padding.
This is the last of the series that I will bother to read. I have the feeling that I can predict the plots of the next three to four books.
March 6, 2023
Slow start but interesting finish
The beginning of the book is quite slow as it takes our main characters through different points on Earth. The biggest problem doing this is that the author introduces some things that are not ever clarified or explored. It was basically a task of futility. Once you start reading the travels, you can honestly skip the rest of the first 20% of the book. Once they are in Egypt, that is when you can start again.
The beginning of the book is quite slow as it takes our main characters through different points on Earth. The biggest problem doing this is that the author introduces some things that are not ever clarified or explored. It was basically a task of futility. Once you start reading the travels, you can honestly skip the rest of the first 20% of the book. Once they are in Egypt, that is when you can start again.
September 8, 2024
While there is one more book published at this time I can confidently say I am satisfied with the resolution to the currently dangling plot threads I'd been chomping at for two previous books
Still loving this series. Nate's traveling continues, companions acquired , and new secrets uncovered! Will he be able to rescue those he set out to rescue?
Still loving this series. Nate's traveling continues, companions acquired , and new secrets uncovered! Will he be able to rescue those he set out to rescue?
October 13, 2022
Excellent story
This series is a excellent story from top to bottom. The author has managed to weave this series together to keep you entertained. I highly recommend this book for everyone
This series is a excellent story from top to bottom. The author has managed to weave this series together to keep you entertained. I highly recommend this book for everyone
November 14, 2022
Defender:Greymantle book4
Fast paced well written really keeps the interest up. Moving from one world to another, does stretch credibility, but the plot does follow along and once reality is checked at the door, sit back and enjoy a good read.
Fast paced well written really keeps the interest up. Moving from one world to another, does stretch credibility, but the plot does follow along and once reality is checked at the door, sit back and enjoy a good read.
January 29, 2023
Love this series
Great characters, interesting story and plot is not predictable I mean the good guy wins but its believable. I have read these back to back an have not yet been able to put them down
Great characters, interesting story and plot is not predictable I mean the good guy wins but its believable. I have read these back to back an have not yet been able to put them down
June 24, 2024
Defender by j. David baxter. Omg this serious is just getting better and better. The levels of plot this book has is outstanding. If you didn't pay much attention to the first 3 books you wouldn't fully get the plot within plot of this book. Very well done.
October 18, 2022
derivative Mary Sue
90% of this book is a rehash of book one from the view point of already having lived it. Nothing of any real substance happens happens until the last 10%.
90% of this book is a rehash of book one from the view point of already having lived it. Nothing of any real substance happens happens until the last 10%.
November 2, 2022
Fantastic
I reread the other 3 books so I could remember what happened in the other books! Very Very good reading!!!!!
I reread the other 3 books so I could remember what happened in the other books! Very Very good reading!!!!!
February 3, 2023
Defender: Greymantle book 4
This was a fun read. I like boy scouts. The plot and action was fast paced. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
This was a fun read. I like boy scouts. The plot and action was fast paced. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
February 13, 2023
SCANDALOUS AND OH SO JUICY!
I love this series! I hope Baxter has more to come in the world of Greymantle.
I love this series! I hope Baxter has more to come in the world of Greymantle.
September 29, 2023
Two books and it's resolved so fast? What a let down.
I understand why people love the series. It sucks you in with it's great prose, likeable characters, and easy to understand world.
The plot might not make too much sense in this book, but a lot will be explained by the end of the next.
I understand why people love the series. It sucks you in with it's great prose, likeable characters, and easy to understand world.
The plot might not make too much sense in this book, but a lot will be explained by the end of the next.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews