Part one of an epic tale
591187
I bought the book on a whim (given that it's free, and why not?), and ended up devouring it. I was very pleasantly surprised.

This isn't a book for people who like instant gratification. The story unfolds gradually; each piece of the puzzle is deliberate. The characters are complex and have their own motivations. A lot of locations are backdrops you may never see again, but what occurs there is relevant later.

The Entire (or the "All") is an artificial construction, carefully shaped by its alien lords. It is pressed up against our universe, so close that they are able to peer in upon Earth, which they call the Rose. One man of Earth has visited the Entire, though few believed his tale, and fights desperately to return. The story picks up when he's granted his wish, and the consequences unfold from there.

Kenyon's vision is far reaching. Her pacing is steady, but if you can enjoy a good story for the sake of the story itself, you may very well find yourself reaching for the second book as soon as you finish this one.
3890642
This is the first of a trilogy, so by definition, you should probably start here. The author introduces a hero who has precognitive powers that she sees more as a curse than a superpower.

The story is thrilling, an adventure with bad guys and magic stuff, but all that is in service to the emotional stakes. Sole's trek through the story is grueling and heart-rending. I mean that as a compliment.

This first story ends on a cliffhanger, but by the time you get there, you're going to need the second book regardless.
1584629
I have had this book on my to read list for a while.  I finally got it on audiobook.  It was a well done story done in a very epic fantasy-like style.  However my primary thought while listening to it was "wow this is really long".

The story starts out with Tom the Builder and his family.  Tom would like to build cathedrals but he is currently working on a house for William (a noble) and his bride to be Ariana.  When Ariana refuses to marry William, William stops building on the house and Tom is out of a job.  Tom and his family wander around looking for work.  We also read some from Philips viewpoint.  Philip is a monk who runs a small priory in an isolated area.  Philip dreams of becoming the Prior of Kingsbridge and of building a cathedral there.

The book switches between many viewpoints and goes over many decades of time.  We mainly hear from Toms stepson Jack, Prior Philip, Ariana, and William.  It's a well done epic historical fiction, it's done very much in the style of traditional epic fantasy.  You follow four or five main perspectives throughout the book.  All of the characters tie back into the story of a cathedral that is being built in the English town of Kingsbridge.

The story mainly follows the struggle to build the cathedral, as well as the struggle of the people involved to make a living and survive.  A lot of the stories are very compelling.  I especially found Arianas struggle to survive and build up a life for herself engaging.  Ariana is one of those heroines who goes through more suffering than any character should, but you just cant keep her down.  Time after time she climbs out of deep despair and builds her self back up to success.  I really enjoyed her portions of the story a lot.

This is definitely an adult's only book.  There are some very graphic rape scenes, graphic sex scenes, and graphic scenes of death, torture, and violence.  Follett doesnt shy away from talking about any of the unpleasantness of war and of this time in history.

I enjoy architecture, so I did enjoy a lot of the talk about how the cathedral was built and how changes in building technology altered the structure and plans throughout time.  For me these were the most interesting parts of the book.

There is a lot of surrounding drama, some of which was really interesting...and some of which could have been cut out of the story to shorten it.  Most of the things that happen do have some final impact on whether or not the cathedral will get built.  However, sometimes there are very long interludes where we don't hear about the cathedral and are off following other characters. This was a very good read, but I couldn't help feeling at multiple points that the story could have been trimmed a bit and made a bit more tight and a bit less wandering.

Things were nicely wrapped up at the end.  I liked where most of the characters stories were left and didn't feel like there were any major issues that weren't resolved.

I think the popularity of this book might be because it is basically an epic fantasy type of read that has gone mainstream, this allows the general populace to peak into a genre that they may not have normally read.  Because it is different to them they are enraptured by the story  While I enjoyed it, I just didn't think it was any more spectacular than other epic stories I have read.

Overall I enjoyed the story but it was a bit too long for what it was.  I would definitely recommend reading if you enjoy the history of architecture and if you enjoy historical fictions done in a very epic fantasy type of style.  Follett does an excellent job of weaving history into an engaging story that is hard to put down.  The whole story has a very epic fantasy-like style and feel to it.  I probably won't be reading the companion book to this one, the story was just too long and wandering for me.
451989
Great epic fantasy! I really enjoyed this read. I think there is a little bit of something for everyone. Politics, action, adventure and even a little bit of romance. I am looking forward to the next installment already.
4667839
i like where this story is going, although you might want to brush up on your greek myths before you dive in, be warned the story is not complete this is just a first part, but it definitely  makes you want to read more
3599752
Thomas Hoover has written an epic tale loosely based on the beginnings of the East India Company's entry into India. It has the flavor of a well researched story with perspectives of the Pope-centrism Portuguese, the self-centered English and the 'Heathen' Indians. There is something for everybody with battles, adventure, romance, wild animal hunts, cultural immersion and political intrigue. You will soon feel like the Portuguese and English were the 'heathens' and India a little understood cultural mecca.

The Portuguese have had control of trade with India, by water, for a century and the English their own agreement with India. Enter Captain-General Brian Hawksworth and his two ships, as England attempts to gain a toe-hold in trade with India. We start with a sea-battle, make a hazardous landfall at the trade port, are immediately immersed in political intrigue and in-fighting, adventure across country to meet the Moghul, ride elephants, participate in wild animal hunts and more. A fantastic tale of India!

This is a story I could easily read again and have rated it 4-Stars.
125950
I stumbled across the first book in the series while waiting in the library.
The quality of the artwork, combined with a modern take on the ambitions/motives of the protagonists makes for a wonderful treat.
The most famous epic tale of all deserved a graphic novel retelling of this order.

Four books down ... Three more to come.
546971
The first book in the Kingkiller Chronicles is a fantastic start to a fantasy epic. There's no denying the Patrick Rothfuss has accomplished what he set out to do in the telling of this story. As an avid fan of fantasy and fiction I am always searching for pearls in the mess of rough stones that washes ashore in the genre. I'm happy to say that this book is a pearl; the brightness and clarity of which you'll have to decide for yourself. While I didn't find this as enjoyable as the first entry in some other, equally or more notable, series in genre I had no trouble finishing this novel and found myself excited to continue listening to it. I purchased the book as a gift, and listened to the story in audio form. The giftee also loved the story, likely even more than I did.
742745
A very enjoyable fantasy setting read where evil at the beginning of the book has the upper hand. In order for the world to be saved (it is very much in danger), certain pieces on the playing field must discover who they are, who they really are working for, and switch to the right side before it is too late. Story has very enjoyable twists and turns through the eyes of multiple characters. While Liv (the last of the Magi) is a key character, she isn't the only one confused. It takes a team and sacrifice to fight the epic evil their world is facing.
3149535
What a wonderful start to a great story.  I can't help but picture the genie from Aladdin when I read it probably because that is the best genie of all time to me.  I'm so looking forward to the rest of the episodes.  I think it will be a delightful way to spend time reading a book.
2325966
This tale of a young Attila the Hun is told by Priscus of Panium who is ninety years old. The scribe introduces himself in a few pages then gets on with his story. The next chapter introduces us to a battle where General Stilicho sees for the first time that not all tales told of the fighting style of the Huns is myth and he is amazed at what he sees. Next, we meet Atilla who is being held captive in Rome. During one of his many escape attempts we also meet the cruel hearted shrew that is Princess Galla and one of Atilla's protectors, General Stilicho's wife Serena. The rest of the story details the beginning of the fall of Rome and Attila's fight to make it home to his tribe, the feared Huns.

I thought the book was well written, there is a lot of violence both to animals (which I flinched through) and humans (which is expected) but there isn't as much swearing as some other reviewers report. This is the beginning of a trilogy detailing Attila's life and I can't wait to get my hands on the next two installments. I really like how the first book is just about young Attila leaving the reader eager to add more to the story when the book is drawn to a close.
760876
The island of Albion is divided by the River Albus. To the north lies the Black Kingdom, cold and wild, the home of the Anakim, a giant and long-lived (if not killed in battle) race of giant warriors while the Sutherners, shorter, more civilized, occupy the warmer southern realm of Suthdal. The two races have clashed in the past but now share an uneasy peace. But a clever upstart Suthern commoner, Bellamus, is determined to change this.  He has convinced the king that recent events including unusual weather portend an invasion by the Anakim and, if Suthdal is to survive, the Sutherners must take the war to the north.

It is the first battle for Roper, the 19-year-old son of the Black Lord, leader of the Anakim and, to his horror, he watches as his father is killed and the legionaries thrown into disarray by the Sutherners. Suddenly, Roper is forced to take command over the first military defeat the Anakim have suffered in thousands of years  a source of great shame to a race devoted to war and one that Uvoren, the popular captain of the Sacred Guardsmen,  a role every aspiring warrior dreams of playing will happily exploit in an attempt to win the black throne from the inexperience youth.

The Wolf: Under the Northern Sky is the first book in one compelling epic fantasy series by author Leo Carew. It is hard to believe that this is Carews debut novel - the world building is impressive, the characters are interesting, and the battles well-thought-out.  As other reviewers have mentioned, the one area where the novel falls short is in the character of Roper who, even at the end, seems less a successful leader than a lucky one but I found him likeable enough that I suspect or hope he will grow into his role in future books and this did not interfere with my overall enjoyment of the tale. As in most series, the ending lays the groundwork for the next installment and I will definitely be looking out for it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
2672889
First of all, I'm not a fan of buying a book in parts, I'd rather sit down and read the whole story in one go over the weekend. Had this been the whole story, I'd most likely rate it higher. It'd also explain some stuff that are listed under book description that weren't in this part, which sound pretty awesome. That said, if you like to read short stories, have a couple of bucks laying around, or have Kindle Unlimited, you can't go wrong reading this. Your only problem will likely be having to endure the wait on the other parts.

The author does present an interesting setting that leaves me wanting to know more. I imagine that when all the parts are finished, the full thing will be quite a ride. Also, aside from a few typos, it is well written. I can't wait to finish the story. I am interested in seeing how this story merges with the other Aetheriad story he's released, as this one's got more of a scifi military feel to it than the other superhero story.
1554193
Admitedly, I've been reading the sequence of volumes in this series out of order.  In fact, this was the first volume that I started with.  With that being said, Tezuka's storytelling and plot pacing is compelling enough that I did not feel 'lost,' in this complex tale of WWII with it's assortment of characters and subplot.  Within the first several pages I was more or less hooked into this epic tale on the racial origins of Adolf Hitler and the globe trotting antics of several parties to reveal and conceal the truth.
If you do decide to read this series, do it right the first time around and start with the first volume in the series:  "Adolf: A Tale of the Twentieth Century."
903027
Assassin's Curse is the first installment in an epic fantasy series about two female witches, twins whose destiny is bound up in prophecy. The story opens when the twins are just babies; their mother and father are slain by the head of a witch coven that wants to control the fate of the twins herself.

Enter our unlikely hero, Jeda, an assassin with questionable morals. He has been assigned by the assassin's guild to find and kill the mother, who is already nearly dead, and bring the twins back alive.  The mother, also a witch, bonds him to the twins magically so that he is compelled to keep them safe and secure.

Jeda takes the twins, flees the city. At this point the coven, the twin's grandmother and, by extension, the assassin's guild (the grandmother took out the contract to find and return the babies in the first place) are all hunting for Jeda and the twins... and the plot is set.

This is an excellent story with a great deal of depth to the plot. So many novels fall flat when there are so many characters involved in a complex storyline, but this one manages to hold it together.

There could be more emphasis on the flow, in the writing itself. There is a great deal of repetition of words, which makes some of the description and dialogue fall a bit flat, especially when read out loud.

I enjoyed the characters, but I did not feel like I ever really got know them personally; I only knew what was happening to them. I did not feel myself invested in them as people, only in their plight. Ironically, it was the 'cameo appearance' characters that I felt most attached to; Miriam - the mother of the twins, Clara - the bread girl the wagon.

This is definitely an adult fantasy. There is a lot of unexpected shock value; lots of profanity (a lot), rape, torture, murder. Most of it revolves around the actions of Mave, the story's main villain, but some of it is very nasty, something that is normally toned down for books of this genre. With that being said, I believe that it actually added to the story. This will set this story apart from the multitude of other epic fantasies out there. I know there will be some who will be disgusted by some of the things that happen - if you're that kind of person, this isn't the book for you.

All in all, I enjoyed Assassin's Curse and would recommend it to any serious fantasy reader. Due to the strong plot and the way the story has been lined up and left to be finished, I feel confident that the second book in the series will be just as good or better.

I give Assassin's Curse, Book One of the Witch Stone Prophecy a solid 3.75 out of 5 stars.
4670709
This is a mega epic of a life lived on the edge. The main character seems to fall into every step of his life somewhat by accident yet embraces every bit of the adventure with gusto. I definitely will read the next installment.
4044298
a great conclusion to an epic tale.  this just got darker and darker and i couldn't put it down. Great to read it all in single issue and then buy the omnibus to read it all as one contained piece.  wish there was more!