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The Sons Incarnate #1
In the Shadow of the Rook
His fragile world is threatened by the impending return of the gods. But Erik first has to keep himself from falling apart.Tucked away on an island against the far edge of the world, Erik had resigned himself to a mediocre life as his father’s alchemical apprentice. But that changes when his closest friend murders him without provocation. Reanimated under the hands of a necromancer with ill intents and plagued by unanswerable questions, Erik escapes with his mind intact but his body deteriorating, and has little time to reverse his decay.One person, the Rook, might be able to lead him towards the kind of true resurrection spoken of in legends, but the necromancers who know where he or she is have their own designs. And as Erik searches, he is stalked by an enemy in the shadows, with every step endangering himself and those around him. But Erik knows he can’t stop, for he’s learning the the world, already crumbling, is on the verge of collapse, and he has a central role to play in its fate.But will he preserve the world? Or break it?
330 pages, Paperback
Published June 21, 2017
27 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
J.D.L. Rosell
40 books518 followers***ANNOUNCEMENT: Shadow of Legends, Book 1 in the Dragonforged Saga, is funding now on Kickstarter! Look it up to read more about your favorite characters from Legend of Tal.***
J.D.L. Rosell was swept away on a journey when he stepped foot outside his door and into The Hobbit. He hasn't stopped wandering since.
In his writing, he tries to recapture the wonder, adventure, and poignancy that captivated him as a child. His explorations have taken him to worlds set in over twenty novels and six series, which include Dragonforged, Ranger of the Titan Wilds, Legend of Tal, The Runewar Saga, and The Famine Cycle.
When he's not off on a quest, Rosell enjoys his newfound hobby of archery and older pastimes of hiking and landscape photography. But every hobbit returns home, and if you step softly and mind the potatoes, you may glimpse him curled up with his wife and two cats, Zelda and Abenthy, reading a good book or replaying his favorite video games.
* * * * *
Books by J.D.L. Rosell:
DRAGONFORGED
1. Shadow of Legends (Late 2026 release)
RANGER OF THE TITAN WILDS
1. The Last Ranger
2. The First Ancestor
3. The Hidden Guardian
4. The Wilds Exile
5. The Titan Revenant (March 2026 release)
LEGEND OF TAL
1. A King's Bargain
2. A Queen's Command
3. An Emperor's Gamble
4. A God's Plea
A Battle Between Blood (Novella)
THE RUNEWAR SAGA
1. The Throne of Ice & Ash
2. The Crown of Fire & Fury
3. The Stone of Iron & Omen
Book 4 TBA
THE FAMINE CYCLE - Available as a complete box set
1. Whispers of Ruin
2. Echoes of Chaos
3. Requiem of Silence
Secret Seller (Prequel)
The Phantom Heist (Novella)
GODSLAYER RISING - Available as a complete box set
1. Catalyst
2. Champion
3. Heretic
J.D.L. Rosell was swept away on a journey when he stepped foot outside his door and into The Hobbit. He hasn't stopped wandering since.
In his writing, he tries to recapture the wonder, adventure, and poignancy that captivated him as a child. His explorations have taken him to worlds set in over twenty novels and six series, which include Dragonforged, Ranger of the Titan Wilds, Legend of Tal, The Runewar Saga, and The Famine Cycle.
When he's not off on a quest, Rosell enjoys his newfound hobby of archery and older pastimes of hiking and landscape photography. But every hobbit returns home, and if you step softly and mind the potatoes, you may glimpse him curled up with his wife and two cats, Zelda and Abenthy, reading a good book or replaying his favorite video games.
* * * * *
Books by J.D.L. Rosell:
DRAGONFORGED
1. Shadow of Legends (Late 2026 release)
RANGER OF THE TITAN WILDS
1. The Last Ranger
2. The First Ancestor
3. The Hidden Guardian
4. The Wilds Exile
5. The Titan Revenant (March 2026 release)
LEGEND OF TAL
1. A King's Bargain
2. A Queen's Command
3. An Emperor's Gamble
4. A God's Plea
A Battle Between Blood (Novella)
THE RUNEWAR SAGA
1. The Throne of Ice & Ash
2. The Crown of Fire & Fury
3. The Stone of Iron & Omen
Book 4 TBA
THE FAMINE CYCLE - Available as a complete box set
1. Whispers of Ruin
2. Echoes of Chaos
3. Requiem of Silence
Secret Seller (Prequel)
The Phantom Heist (Novella)
GODSLAYER RISING - Available as a complete box set
1. Catalyst
2. Champion
3. Heretic
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 15, 2023
In the Shadow of the Rook is quite the unusual book - in a very good way.
What caught my eye first here is the beautiful cover (but then I'm a sucker for covers that feature any type of corvid). Once I saw the author's name I knew I had to read it, since J.D.L. Rosell simply writes great fantasy stories. This is actually his first (published) book.
The main character EriK has been murdered by his former best friend. And then reanimated by a necromancer. Hurt, betrayed and abused, Erik killed both of these men. Now, he is on the run to escape justice for these murders and also because nobody likes the undead. In some places, they are hunted for sport. Before all this happened, Erik actually has been one of those people hunting the undead. Now, all he wants is to be alive again, so he is looking for help. But that turns out quite difficult and leads him back to his past...
In the Shadow of the Rook is very well written (especially when you consider it was the author's first book) and I was quickly immersed into the story. It is a very characer-driven story that is told only from Erik's point of view, so you get to feel Erik's confusion, his feelings and learn about his past. Of course, there is action, but the focus here is on the characters. The side-characters are well done, too, but obviously do not get as much attention. The only problem is, that Erik is not a very likable character. You understand him, understand his motives, his desperation, but it is very difficult to really root for him.
The worldbuilding seems very well thought-out, but luckily you don't get overblown with facts, but pick up some things during the course of the story.
And the ending is a major cliffhanger that I did not expect, but that was extremely gratifying to read. To my knowledge, Rosell has not continued the story until now, but I really hope that one day he will, because the world and the story have so much potential.
What caught my eye first here is the beautiful cover (but then I'm a sucker for covers that feature any type of corvid). Once I saw the author's name I knew I had to read it, since J.D.L. Rosell simply writes great fantasy stories. This is actually his first (published) book.
The main character EriK has been murdered by his former best friend. And then reanimated by a necromancer. Hurt, betrayed and abused, Erik killed both of these men. Now, he is on the run to escape justice for these murders and also because nobody likes the undead. In some places, they are hunted for sport. Before all this happened, Erik actually has been one of those people hunting the undead. Now, all he wants is to be alive again, so he is looking for help. But that turns out quite difficult and leads him back to his past...
In the Shadow of the Rook is very well written (especially when you consider it was the author's first book) and I was quickly immersed into the story. It is a very characer-driven story that is told only from Erik's point of view, so you get to feel Erik's confusion, his feelings and learn about his past. Of course, there is action, but the focus here is on the characters. The side-characters are well done, too, but obviously do not get as much attention. The only problem is, that Erik is not a very likable character. You understand him, understand his motives, his desperation, but it is very difficult to really root for him.
The worldbuilding seems very well thought-out, but luckily you don't get overblown with facts, but pick up some things during the course of the story.
And the ending is a major cliffhanger that I did not expect, but that was extremely gratifying to read. To my knowledge, Rosell has not continued the story until now, but I really hope that one day he will, because the world and the story have so much potential.
June 23, 2017
An excellent take on the fantasy genre that will keep you guessing as you go along. Fascinating characters engage the reader well as they explore a unique world consisting of intrigue and a good amount of death and necromancy. I thoroughly enjoyed the depiction of these characters and the solid world-building throughout "In the Shadow of the Rook," and the end left me excitedly anticipating the next installment!
Check it out for yourself for a quick and thrilling read!
Check it out for yourself for a quick and thrilling read!
December 16, 2017
Man, I started off with high hopes for this. While it was a fairly unusual storyline, it was written is such a disjointed manner as to make it hard to understand and connect with the characters. I'm no slouch at following multiple timelines/characters/sequences and so on, but this just seemed to have no indication of what the heck was going on at some points. Towards the end of the book, I just wanted to finish it and be done with it. I wish I had enjoyed this more, as the story seems unique and interesting, but the style just pushed me away.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews