I was hooked straight away and am mightily impressed by the writing of young debut author, Jae V. Reece. The Fallen is a series of twelve short stories set in the fantasy world of Paesia. In an interesting format, the chapter stories match up 1 and 12 (Leiden), 2 and 11 (Oba), 3 and 10 (Phirra), 4 and 9 (Zerale), 5 and 8 (Mayomin), and 6 and 7 (Arosad). I found this an appealing idea.
The story begins with the teenage winged prince, Leiden whose city is under attack by red-skinned daemons. I found the young character really engaging and enjoyed the descriptions of his silvery blue hair and feathered wings. There were nice emotional touches with his mother, bringing fleeting gentleness in a battlefield.
Another character I'm really rooting for is the female dwarf, Mayomin, whose father is on trial for his part in a rebellion. In a cruelty of justice, her entire family is sold into slavery to atone for his crimes. She's a feisty little one and puts up a good fight while on the run from her captors.
The author describes this novella as a prologue consisting of discarded scenes from his soon-to-be published part 1 of the Paesian series. It is an usual format and the stories didn't all interconnect, but it is well worth reading for his beautiful descriptive style and fast-paced action scenes.
Some of Jae V. Reece's fascinating ideas include: the colourful magic styles, the treeweaver speaking through the trees, the pulsating crystals, Mistborne - flying evil creatures, and the sentient Mother Tree.
The most memorable scene for me was of a winged creature running with wings ablaze.
I believe this book is suitable for fans of dark fantasy and paranormal books aged over 15 years. With a little polishing, this will be a truly excellent series. I can't wait to see what the author writes next.
Click here for the book: Amazon
The story begins with the teenage winged prince, Leiden whose city is under attack by red-skinned daemons. I found the young character really engaging and enjoyed the descriptions of his silvery blue hair and feathered wings. There were nice emotional touches with his mother, bringing fleeting gentleness in a battlefield.
Another character I'm really rooting for is the female dwarf, Mayomin, whose father is on trial for his part in a rebellion. In a cruelty of justice, her entire family is sold into slavery to atone for his crimes. She's a feisty little one and puts up a good fight while on the run from her captors.
The author describes this novella as a prologue consisting of discarded scenes from his soon-to-be published part 1 of the Paesian series. It is an usual format and the stories didn't all interconnect, but it is well worth reading for his beautiful descriptive style and fast-paced action scenes.
Some of Jae V. Reece's fascinating ideas include: the colourful magic styles, the treeweaver speaking through the trees, the pulsating crystals, Mistborne - flying evil creatures, and the sentient Mother Tree.
The most memorable scene for me was of a winged creature running with wings ablaze.
I believe this book is suitable for fans of dark fantasy and paranormal books aged over 15 years. With a little polishing, this will be a truly excellent series. I can't wait to see what the author writes next.
Click here for the book: Amazon