What do you think?
Rate this book
DarkSeer
“The main character, Martin, possesses a dark, distinctly British sense of humor, which colors the book even at its most harrowing moments.” Once upon a time there were many DarkSeers in Morthia, but now there are just two - and that, it seems, is one too many. Following a trail seeking information about his parents, Martin becomes a wildcard in a power struggle between these two almost omnipotent beings who have been at a stalemate for centuries. Inadvertently caught up in their clash of wills, it seems that whoever gets Martin wins – so the outcome doesn’t bode well for him either way. The frustration and anger of Martin Curnow’s redundancy catapults him from the London banking scene into madness – or so he thinks. But the magical land of Morthia is real, as are its dangers. The key to his survival lies in uncovering his parents’ story, but for that, he has to believe not only in Morthia, but in himself. His inability to make decisions cost him his job, now it could cost him his life. This is a standalone tale that combines thriller with fantasy and dark psychological realism. “I found myself drawn into the worlds, both real and imaginary, painted by Lewando. The world-building in the novel is excellent, and real-world London is as intricately described as the fantasy world of Morthia.” “The dialogue helps to build each character, and feels true to life and compelling.” “The plot is an epic one, with battles for power taking place alongside Martin's journey to understand who he really is, and what his "crazy" parents truly are.” “I highly recommend Darkseer for any fantasy fans, as Lewando takes time and care to build an vivid, exciting world, and a cast of characters that are fun, unique, and compelling. Even for non-fantasy fans like myself, it is an enjoyable read!
231 pages, Hardcover
Published June 3, 2022
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Chris Lewando
20 books11 followersThe author writes thrillers and contemporary novels as Chris Lewando, romance as Sue Lewando, and Irish dual timeline fiction as Daisy O'Shea. Published by Bookouture, this series is being sold in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Norway, and is being translated into German for 2026.
She is a full-time author and lives in the south of Ireland. Some of her adventures of the move to buy and renovate an 'Irish wreck' are detailed on her website.
ChrisLewando.com and DaisyOShea.com
You can collect a free e-copy of her literary compilation from her website.
She is a full-time author and lives in the south of Ireland. Some of her adventures of the move to buy and renovate an 'Irish wreck' are detailed on her website.
ChrisLewando.com and DaisyOShea.com
You can collect a free e-copy of her literary compilation from her website.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 14, 2022
Fantasy of a long lost age 3.5 stars
Come along and join Martin Curnow, a math whiz who was shunned by his mates as he was growing up. After being fired as accountant for a large British bank, he experiences odd episodes that do not seem quite right.
Martin, it seems, has some special abilities that his parents never told him about. His mother's paintings of unfamiliar landscapes hold clues for Martin's search for his identity.
Being born to parents who allowed him to rebel and be independent, Martin appears to be naive and has strong notions of right and wrong.
Blinking into an alternate reality, Martin realizes some unexpected ability to read and speak ancient languages.
As he learns that his abilities are more than unusual, he has to survive as an itinerant traveler. For much of the journey, he has to survive with a frightened singer, Yrianne, and a man-turned-into-a-wolf, Frean.
What makes this book special is that the reader is just as new to the almost plausible environment as Martin. The challenge of doing the right thing, if there is such a thing, becomes complex.
Martin seeks to know his family history and tries to reconcile the acquisition of his personal power. How can he reconcile his humility to the DarkSeer that he has become? The overwhelming darkness is what can happen with absolute power. Does power have to corrupt?
Come along and join Martin Curnow, a math whiz who was shunned by his mates as he was growing up. After being fired as accountant for a large British bank, he experiences odd episodes that do not seem quite right.
Martin, it seems, has some special abilities that his parents never told him about. His mother's paintings of unfamiliar landscapes hold clues for Martin's search for his identity.
Being born to parents who allowed him to rebel and be independent, Martin appears to be naive and has strong notions of right and wrong.
Blinking into an alternate reality, Martin realizes some unexpected ability to read and speak ancient languages.
As he learns that his abilities are more than unusual, he has to survive as an itinerant traveler. For much of the journey, he has to survive with a frightened singer, Yrianne, and a man-turned-into-a-wolf, Frean.
What makes this book special is that the reader is just as new to the almost plausible environment as Martin. The challenge of doing the right thing, if there is such a thing, becomes complex.
Martin seeks to know his family history and tries to reconcile the acquisition of his personal power. How can he reconcile his humility to the DarkSeer that he has become? The overwhelming darkness is what can happen with absolute power. Does power have to corrupt?
September 24, 2020
Preface: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review
Actual rating: 3.25 stars
This was a very strange book. It had some good ideas, but the execution was all over the place. If you took a shot for every scene that ended in Martin blacking out, or every seemingly important scene that is completely bypassed to the narration, you'd be dead before you finished the novel. So much of this story is just him jumping around from place to place without any clear goal or without actually accomplishing anything.
There is some solid stuff here - the magic system has potential, the world is clearly thought-out, the time-hopping element could have been cool, and Kri-ag is a wonderful enigma of a character - but it just isn't expressed well. We never really understand where the story is gong or why. There are several plot threads that seem like they'll be important, but are instead completely glossed over or forgotten. Heck, the supposed climax of the book has Martin black out right in the middle, only so he can finish it up later. It's very strange.
If you like far-out fantasy, this might be for you, but this novel requires a lot of patience. There are a few kernels of really good storytelling here, but they're buried deep beneath the baffling structure.
Actual rating: 3.25 stars
This was a very strange book. It had some good ideas, but the execution was all over the place. If you took a shot for every scene that ended in Martin blacking out, or every seemingly important scene that is completely bypassed to the narration, you'd be dead before you finished the novel. So much of this story is just him jumping around from place to place without any clear goal or without actually accomplishing anything.
There is some solid stuff here - the magic system has potential, the world is clearly thought-out, the time-hopping element could have been cool, and Kri-ag is a wonderful enigma of a character - but it just isn't expressed well. We never really understand where the story is gong or why. There are several plot threads that seem like they'll be important, but are instead completely glossed over or forgotten. Heck, the supposed climax of the book has Martin black out right in the middle, only so he can finish it up later. It's very strange.
If you like far-out fantasy, this might be for you, but this novel requires a lot of patience. There are a few kernels of really good storytelling here, but they're buried deep beneath the baffling structure.
April 5, 2020
Nuggets in Nibbles and Rambles
Someone who edits for others and writes nonfiction, I am always drawn to books that are about writing. This one is intended for fiction authors. The book is divided into four sections. The first is what I would call a 30-foot view of fiction writing, looking at generalities with a wide lens. Section two gets down to the nitty-gritty of what constitutes good fiction, and the final two sections look first at traditional publishing and then self-publishing. There are 75 topics in this nearly 80K-word book, so each topic is an essay rather than a deep dive. I feel there are a lot of wisdom nuggets here, but they seem buried in writing that rambles and goes off on tangents at times. Sometimes, after having read the chapter title in the table of contents, I was surprised at what I found in the actual chapter; it wasn’t what I thought it would be. In general, I felt that each topic needed more depth. I would have preferred several books on these topics rather than just an ultimately unsatisfying nibble.
3.5 rounded up to 4
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
Someone who edits for others and writes nonfiction, I am always drawn to books that are about writing. This one is intended for fiction authors. The book is divided into four sections. The first is what I would call a 30-foot view of fiction writing, looking at generalities with a wide lens. Section two gets down to the nitty-gritty of what constitutes good fiction, and the final two sections look first at traditional publishing and then self-publishing. There are 75 topics in this nearly 80K-word book, so each topic is an essay rather than a deep dive. I feel there are a lot of wisdom nuggets here, but they seem buried in writing that rambles and goes off on tangents at times. Sometimes, after having read the chapter title in the table of contents, I was surprised at what I found in the actual chapter; it wasn’t what I thought it would be. In general, I felt that each topic needed more depth. I would have preferred several books on these topics rather than just an ultimately unsatisfying nibble.
3.5 rounded up to 4
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
April 3, 2020
I really appreciate this book. It isn't fluff that tells you that it's easy to write. It also isn't disheartening, telling you if you weren't born with the gift you won't make it. What it is, is a book that says yes you can do this but be ready for the work. Put in the time and learn as much as you can while also working on your own writing because that's the best and only way to become better. This book is a great resource and is a well worth the read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews