First Book of the Gastar Series : Act of Redemption

Act of Redemption

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And what can she do to redeem it? Will she return to Hell to settle all matters and find her soul again? And how does a dragon mentor fit into this dark, exciting plot? I could ask many more questions to intrigue more readers, but don't want to give anything away. I'll leave it up to you to read this gripping book for yourself. You won't be disappointed! You'll race through these pages with bated breath, hoping and praying the soldiers and Shevata survive and finally defeat Zermon, thus enabling the girl to fight to recapture her soul. Cole's action scenes are some of the best I've read, but she's known for dark fantasy and this first book is a fine example of more to come.

She' such a fine writer, she makes time travel and magic seem realistic, and she fleshes out her characters so that you'll feel like you know them. If you're like me, you'll come to care what happens to each and every one of these lovable characters. It's an all-around masterpiece of this genre and I can't wait to read the rest of this series. What a cool name for an assassin, don't you think? Not a slight year-old girl wearing a torn and ragged dress, but -- oh my -- Shevata is a more powerful killing machine than either of those two or any other assassin you can think of.

Pardon my French, but Shevata's just badass. She's been back and forth to Hell several times, slaying demons and rescuing trapped humans, and she's got some wicked skillz as the gamer-types may say. In fact, that very attribute of Shevata -- her enormous power -- is one of the potential pitfalls of this book that Ms. Cole deals with very well. Having all-powerful characters -- did I mention Zermon, the arch-demon Lord of Hell is a central part of this story as well?

Well, he is -- can tend to overwhelm a plot in so many ways. But for Shevata there is a tremendous price attached to all that power, and it's a lesson she learns the hard way. In fact, the novella opens with an impetuous demonstration of Shevata's power, and the subsequent results -- which aren't good for the human race -- set the stage for the rest of the story. As always, I won't spoil any of the plot for future readers, but know this is essential a fantasy along the lines of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", with the beleaguered and valiant humans of the once-great city Gastar fighting evil in the form of demons from Hell.

There is swordplay, magic, tragedy, triumph, battles large and small, and did I mention the dragons? One word on plot: Cole tosses the reader into the story without much exposition or backstory, so be prepared to hit the ground running. As a writer I seem to always be in a quandary about exposition: I tend to give away too much, I think, and bog down my plot, but with this story Ms.

Cole has shown me it is very possible to simply say "get going" to readers and provide the backstory along the way. I finished "Act of Redemption" in a couple days and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has epic scope in novella length, and if you're looking for a fantasy story with a fun, fast-moving and thrilling plot, and great characters, including the aforementioned badass assassin, I highly recommend it. I'm adding the second book of the series to my To Read List post-haste. One person found this helpful.

She has the vicious virtue a young guy can love.

Cole has created a dark and dangerous world in her series of young adult books about the city of Gastar. Humans, demons, vampires, dragons and other assorted creatures populate this world. Shevata is an unlikely heroine. Although she is over two hundred years old, she has the human form of a petite sixteen year old girl, yet she is feared by every evil creature in the world and hell. She is relentless in her duties as an assassin for the protection of the humans in Gastar, but she is not controlled by anyone. She goes where she pleases and eliminates any evil at her will. She can move things with her mind, wield any weapon with deadly efficiency and infiltrate enemy strongholds with ease.

Yet she is tormented by her loneliness. She has never known the love of another human, not even her parents. She has been dragged to hell and came back, but with a curse The souls that are the victims of the curse haunt her.

You need to know Shevata. I enjoyed myself very much reading this first book of Gastar Series. The story was fast-pacing, action-filled, developing very quickly, with all the blanks filled before the reader might start feeling bewildered. The new world the author created felt very natural, with everything logical and fititng, fantasy elements or not.

Shevata had my sympathy from the very beginning, the warrior-girl raised to fight, to assassinate, a complex character disillusioned by centuries of fighting, facing the Hell and her most avowed enemy, Zermon. I loved the strange relationship between those two. A highly recommended read! See all 30 reviews. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers.

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Get to Know Us. About half way through I found myself skimming. When I finished reaching the inevitable "more to come" ending I was really just as glad it was over. You've got a few good ideas here, a couple of interesting character ideas and a bit of action. All in all I didn't hate the book and thought it deserved more than a 2, but just. I don't think I'll follow it up and I plan to sell or trade the book. See what you think. Apr 16, Scott Whitmore rated it it was amazing. What a cool name for an assassin, don't you think?

Not a slight year-old girl wearing a torn and ragged dress, but — oh my — Shevata is a more powerful killin Shevata. Not a slight year-old girl wearing a torn and ragged dress, but — oh my — Shevata is a more powerful killing machine than either of those two or any other assassin you can think of. Pardon my French, but Shevata's just badass.

She's been back and forth to Hell several times, slaying demons and rescuing trapped humans, and she's got some wicked skillz as the gamer-types may say. In fact, that very attribute of Shevata — her enormous power — is one of the potential pitfalls of this book that Ms.

Cole deals with very well. Having all-powerful characters — did I mention Zermon, the arch-demon Lord of Hell is a central part of this story as well? Well, he is — can tend to overwhelm a plot in so many ways. But for Shevata there is a tremendous price attached to all that power, and it's a lesson she learns the hard way. In fact, the novella opens with an impetuous demonstration of Shevata's power, and the subsequent results — which aren't good for the human race — set the stage for the rest of the story.

As always, I won't spoil any of the plot for future readers, but know this is essential a fantasy along the lines of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", with the beleaguered and valiant humans of the once-great city Gastar fighting evil in the form of demons from Hell. There is swordplay, magic, tragedy, triumph, battles large and small, and did I mention the dragons? One word on plot: Cole tosses the reader into the story without much exposition or backstory, so be prepared to hit the ground running. As a writer I seem to always be in a quandary about exposition: I tend to give away too much, I think, and bog down my plot, but with this story Ms.

Cole has shown me it is very possible to simply say "get going" to readers and provide the backstory along the way. I finished "Act of Redemption" in a couple days and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has epic scope in novella length, and if you're looking for a fantasy story with a fun, fast-moving and thrilling plot, and great characters, including the aforementioned badass assassin, I highly recommend it. I'm adding the second book of the series to my To Read List post-haste.

Sep 05, Thomas rated it liked it. Act of Redemption by C. Cole, is a young adult fantasy and the first book in a planned series of four, entitled the Gastar Series. The theme of the tale is basically one of good versus evil containing a parallel sub-plot that leads the reader to question the use of violence altogether. However, there is still plenty of violence and all of it in the form of pitted battles between human and demonic forces. Their ultimate goal is to decimate the entire population of Gastar and to annex a new territory that will be ruled by the son Behemeth of a powerful demon Zermon.

In order to create more demons for Zermon, women are periodically kidnapped from Gastar and made to bear demon spawn. Like any good war story, there are spies and heroes, the chief heroine being a young female named Shevata, Shevata retains the form of a sixteen year old girl, although she is considerably older and has prior suffered twenty years as a prisoner in Hell. Upon her escape from Hell, Shevata, along with three resurrected men from a previous demon war, becomes the savior of Gastar. Shevata has superior fighting skills and magic swords along with a heavy skillet that she uses to good effect in destroying the demon enemy.

Her guilt does not stop her from utilizing her skills but it does seem to separate her from her comrades. The style and language makes for an easy read -- very important when targeting a young adult audience. There are a few editing errors but most of those would likely be skimmed over by a casual reader. The story is fast-paced and full of bladed action.

Gore factor on a five star scale would probably merit a four. Cole resides in rural Mississippi. More on Cole can be found on her official website at www. Mar 29, dragonflyy rated it really liked it. Cole is the first book of the Gastar Series and I am very glad that there are more books to come. The story is a fantasy novel taking place in a world where demons are overrunning humanity. It follows a teenage assassin Shevata and three men who are brought back from a previous time to help fight a battle against the demons of Hell. Cole creates a universe that draws the reader in.

Warriors, dragons, and half-demon half-humans are all things the reader is introduced to Act of Redemption by C. Warriors, dragons, and half-demon half-humans are all things the reader is introduced to while reading this book. The elements of the story are well laid out though I feel a prequel would be very fitting to explain some of the events hinted at in this tale. All of the characters were extremely likable and though the book was short I felt they were adequately developed.

My review of “Act of Redemption” by CC Cole

The main character Shevata was by far my favorite. It is always a treat to find a strong female lead character in a novel and Cole did not let us down in the creation of the assassin and demon killer Shevata. She is battle hardened and has been altered by her experiences, but still has emotional insecurities and desires. She is an extremely loyal character as well as an incredible fighter.

The style of this novel is reminiscent of the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels I have read in the past. It is a brand new and well created world, which some writers have difficulty with but C. I only wish I had more background knowledge of some of the wars and demons. I feel more development of this would make me fall more in love with the world. I am hoping the next novel Children of Discord will continue with more of the background and history of the world. The best imagery in this book comes with descriptions of Hell and the demons. There were so many demonic forms in this novel and all of them were so imaginative.

Overall this was a book that drew me in immediately and carried me away into a new and different world. I think this is a great book for those who like fantasy novels You can also read my review here. Mar 18, A Book Vacation rated it really liked it. This was a really interesting read; I have not come across anything like it before. In a post-apocalyptic world, the human race is plagued by powerful demons trying to make the human world another realm of hell, through the decimation of all humans.

Each chapter intricately juxtaposes the human world with the demon world, keeping the reader up-to-date with the happenings in both realms as the story unfolds. The prologue sets the stage for the novella, dropping the reader straight into the midst This was a really interesting read; I have not come across anything like it before. The prologue sets the stage for the novella, dropping the reader straight into the midst of an age-old war between good and evil. From the very first page the action ensues, never waning until the completion of the novel.

The first chapter begins in medias res, hundred years after the prologue, and years after the end of the Great War. Although the Great War may be over, the battle for the human world still ensues; hence, pure souls are released, along with Shevata, the protagonist, back into the world to combat evil. While not all the background information is clear in the beginning, Cole intricately designs her novel to help the reader piece together all that has happened over the past years. Utilizing this tactic, Cole creates suspense for the reader—nothing is necessarily what it seems.

Usually I am an instant gratification reader, but Cole did a phenomenal job filling in just enough gaps to keep me turning the pages, always wanting more. While not all questions are answered in this first segment, fear not! Act of Redemption is the first novella in a series of four, and like all series, some questions will be left unanswered until later segments To see my full review: Apr 24, William Butler rated it it was amazing.

Two hundred years has passed since assassin Shevata killed the last of the Abbian priests. Cole has brought to life a journey into Hell and back to save the souls of the remaining humans in Gastar, a city that stood strong and tall for centuries. But one fatal mistake changed everything. A mistake that Shevata had to pay for with her own soul. Now three pure souls are resurrected by the Dragon H Two hundred years has passed since assassin Shevata killed the last of the Abbian priests. The story of Shevata is an amazing tale. Her only goal was to go into Hell and free the good souls that were captured by demons.

Cole weaves her story so well giving you great visuals about what Hell was like and the struggles of each character. The mystery that surrounds them as they carry out their mission set before them by Harragthus. The story moves quickly and by the end you are happy that there is more to come. Act of Redemption was an amazing ride. I enjoyed every moment while reading this book.

The banter between Zermon and Shevata was entertaining. The two characters were respectful of each other for who they were and what they stood for.

Product details

Act of Redemption is a fast paced dark fantasy novella. The story alone captured my attention and I found myself unable to put it down. I recommend this novella for anyone who enjoys a good adventure through Hell and back. May 22, Melanie rated it really liked it. Act of Redemption is the first in a series of four books.

This first dark fantasy novel by author C. Cole is much more than I expected. It's very engaging and I couldn't stop reading. In fact, I finished Act of Redemption in only a few hours. It may be a short read but the story is fast-paced and full of action from the beginning to the end. Cole has created a dark and magical universe filled with a teenage assassin, dragons, demons, half-demons, half-humans..

The characters introduced t Act of Redemption is the first in a series of four books. The characters introduced throughout the book are very unique and well developed. My favorite would have to be Shevata. She's brave, tough and one kick-ass heroine with her magic swords and her ability to move objects with her mind. Being a child assassin back from hell, Shevata proves to be a great help to the Gastar citizens battling demons. The other characters, some evil and some good, are just as colorful. Although, I admit it was a bit hard sometimes to keep up with all of them.

Act of Redemption is a fantastic read. It's a great start to a series I'm sure will be just as amazing. A must-read for any fantasy lovers! Jan 26, Mike McNeff rated it it was amazing Shelves: She has the vicious virtue a young guy can love. Cole has created a dark and dangerous world in her series of books young adult books about the city of Gastar. Humans, demons, vampires, dragons and other assorted creatures populate this world.

Shevata is an unlikely heroine. Although she is over two hundred years old, she has the human form of a petite sixteen year old girl, yet she is feared by every evil creature in the world and hell.

She is relentless in Shevata She is relentless in her duties as an assassin for the protection of the humans in Gastar, but she is not controlled by anyone. She goes where she pleases and eliminates any evil at her will. She can move things with her mind, wield any weapon with deadly efficiency and infiltrate enemy strongholds with ease.

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Yet she is tormented by her loneliness. She has never known the love of another human, not even her parents.

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