Gideon's Dawn

by Michael D. Warden

The Inherited Lands were a place of legend--a mystic realm in a world rich in miracles. From here, Life flowed to the four corners of creation. Or so it once was, before High Lord Gideon used a Word of Desolation that Abaddon had taught him, unleashing a corrupting perversion. Two thousand years later, another Gideon has appeared. No one knows where he came from or how he arrived. But they know he has power. This is no ordinary sojourner, they whisper. This may be the answer to ancient prophesies of doom and deliverance. Or he may just be Gideon Dawning, a graduate student from Texas, in over his head in a world beyond time. . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Christian, High Fantasy, Christian Fantasy

528 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

Hi! I'm Michael. I'm the author of The Pearlsong Refounding, an epic fantasy tetralogy that’s taken me a truly epic amount of time to write. :)

In the midst of that decades-long work, I’ve also written several other books and essays—on spirituality, leadership, and personal development. I’ve also written a fair bit of curriculum for both young people and adults, dabbled in poetry, built a successful career as a coach for leaders and teams (PCC, baby!), and even created a training community for men that I’m really proud of (www.thebraveheartmen.com).

These days I divide my time between writing, coaching, and telling stories from the road, where I currently live in my van named Van Gogh.

That’s super eclectic, I know. But, hey, I’ve never been one to live a normal life.

Follow me on instagram (@the.sojournist) and substack (The Sojournist) if you want to follow along on my latest writings and travel adventures.

Reviews

[Joanne Hofmeister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fantasy story is over 400 pages, but I kept eagerly turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. The main character is a complex person and it's interesting to see how he responds to his circumstances, falls into his destiny and begins to change inside. I love, love how the center of this fictitious world is language...warring with words...the power of words...the sacred book...the Pearl. The book does leave you hanging a bit, resolving only the first part of the story, and hungering to save your pennies so you can get the next one. A great novel.

[Nicholas Sowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... how to summarize such a story! This, quite honestly, might be one of my favorite books I've ever read. The story is such a journey of identity and weakness and vulnerability and strength and growth. The action had me on my seat, and the characters found themselves into my heart. Even as I finished the book I found myself so beautifully overwhelmed at how the book impacted me. I'm still processing how powerfully it found me. So many layers and complexity, yet with such simple beauty and story telling. Could not more highly recommend. If you like J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis, you will LOVE this book. I cannot wait to start the second book! I have to dive straight into the next! Two thumbs up, 5 gold stars, and might highest of recommendations!

[Ron S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is so beautifully written, and successfully accomplishes the elusive thing I always wish for: an immersive world populated with believable characters and a gripping story line that compells me to charge forward to the very end. I could not (and didn't) wait to dive right into the second book, Waymaker. I especially love the premise of a world built on the power of words, both good and evil, but always powerful. And the main character Gideon is so relatable in his contemporary struggles with his troubled history and the uncertainty of his identity. He seems at first to be quite an unlikely fit in a world of fantasy, but therein lies the juiciness!

[K. Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a very long time ago, so it's not super fresh in my mind. But I do remember LOVING it. The world Warden created was wonderful, beautiful and immersive as I recall. I liked the main character, Gideon, too. It's been a while, so forgive my vagueness... But I'm excited to hear the last two books in the series are coming out later this year! I may have to dust off my copies of Gideon's Dawn and Waymaker, and read them again in preparation. I have kept them all these years amongst my favorite fiction titles.

[Krista Funchess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to be honest I didn't really care for Gideon's personality at first and found the story hard to continue until learning his backstory which explained so much...I enjoyed seeing him grow, start to heal from his past and, come to embrace his destiny.

[Alexis Marie Chute · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. It was immersive and surprising.

[Marissa Geter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one years ago and it stuck with me. It's one of a trilogy and I've been on a quest to read the other two ever since I read this one. A good read for those who enjoy fantasy.

[Sedna Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book filled with a good power system and a beautiful world and had good battles and story.

[Jennifer H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is EPIC! Buy them all. Read and enjoy. You're welcome.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gideon’s Dawn is a thought provoking, imaginative, creative, highly readable, and soul stirring work of Christian fantasy. The struggle of Gideon to find purpose and meaning amid the shambles and loneliness of his academic occupation on earth and his second existence in the alternative universe is a global problem and thus, the problems and doubts Gideon has will be familiar to many readers. The struggle of finding one’s own existence as seen through Gideon’s eyes caused me to reflect on the purpose of my life and thus the profound importance of Jesus Christ and his pure, true, and life changing message. This book is one of the best recent fantasy books I read lately and focuses on far more then the average book in this genre. The creative verses and quotes at the beginning of the chapters created welcome depth and background. In conclusion, this book is far more interesting and unique then it may seem and is far more original, intelligent, and profound then I first thought.

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gideon's Dawn was, as the synopsis states, epic, but not necessarily in a good way. It was epic like a container barge - big, slow, and bursting with the promises of treasures (shiny Blu-ray players, HDTV's, Playstation 3's).

Unfortunately, the reader never gets to experience any of the good stuff. Near the end, the action picked up and I was eagerly awaiting some resolution to the main character's plight. But after slogging through 500+ densely-packed pages, I did not in any way feel the need to pick up the sequel, to which Gideon's Dawn is really just a very long prologue.

Some of the quotes on the cover suggested that the book possessed a spiritual message. I think I missed that too. If anything, the main character is a skeptic.

Overall, felt like I had been duped into reading something that just didn't deliver. I suppose MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE if the next book gets really good reviews, and the book is written like the end of this one, I MIGHT pick it up...maybe.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was hard to get started, but had some captivating moments. Some events haven't quite been tied together, but this is the first in a trilogy.

Con: As of yet, the last book isn't actually published, but could be read from authors blog
http://thepearlsongrefounding.com/blog

I would actually prefer the printed page.

Pro: No really foul language or blatant sexual scenes. Over all this book becomes quite enjoyable. You are on an adventure! :)

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an outstanding book by an author new to the fantasy genre. A compelling story, complex characters, and clever wordplay result in an exciting and enjoyable read. Strongly recommended.

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[Holly Badour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am left with more questions than the book answers. This is an older book so I'm hoping I can find the sequel. At the beginning of the story it was very confusing and as the time went on the book got better and better. The battles and the drama in the book kept the book moving. I was always trying to figure out what comes next.

[J. Else · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character was such a whiney brat the whole time! He never appreciated anything that people sacrified for him. Otherwise, I thought the story was interesting and creative. The main character just needed more character development. He really stayed the same throughout the entire story.

[Teddy Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

If You love fantasy/christian fantasy....or any type of fantasy this is for YOU!

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept me awake at night, compelling me from page to page.

Enjoyed it the 2nd time, but the number of typos is practically unforgivable.

[Carrie Yonge · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story with many deeper meanings. Original and poignant. Highly recommended for anyone!

[Richelle Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent book. my only hesitation is that some sections seemed dark and dealt with very evil subjects, although that was clearly not the feeling that remained at the end of the novel.