As Sol tries to repair the damage done to her family's farmland, her frail grandmother tells her the legends of their world, particularly the creation legend: Although Sol loves to hear them, she doesn't quite believe in the stories. And she's always had her doubts about Erda, the Mother Goddess who supposedly watches over them all.
All of this changes, however, when Sol comes across a tree made of gold and an enigmatic stranger who turns out to be Sylv, the seductive and manipulative Ruler of the Abyss. As she prepares to defeat Sylv and stop the destruction of his dreaded Second Fire, Sol embarks on a dangerous quest to find the last piece of light in her world -- and in herself. Vault of Stars is the first installment in a new YA epic fantasy series inspired by Judeo-Christian tales as well as the myth of Hades and Persephone.
Kindle Edition , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Vault of Stars , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Roxanne rated it liked it Aug 18, The creatures fit well in this type of story such as the Madorine's, who had a nice history and society where they ruled and lived for bloodshed. As much as I would like to say that Mr. Davies expertise would be world building I can't because I know for a fact that his expertise lies in his writing style.
It was one of those fantasy novels where you could easily picture the beautifully sketched patterns on the doorframes and the fine silk robes. The techniques used in this novel are wonderful and I loved reading about everything there was to see! I would certainly say that the author did a lot more of showing rather then telling, and his writing techniques were very descriptive. Exactly what a great fantasy novel needs!
Like everything else in life, there's always something you could have improved or worked on. If we look at The Destiny of the Wulf, I believe that the beginning could have been maybe more intriguing. In other words, the beginning was slow and not as intriguing as I would of liked it to be. Now that we've covered the major parts I just want to say that this novel was one of my favorite books of all time and I cannot wait to read the next one!
If you're looking for a great fantasy novel that won't let you down, then this is the one! I was given this book to review through a goodreads group where I've offered to review books for Indie's. I'll start with the good things about this book. The plot was really good and the ideas were fantastic. It felt original and well thought out and for the most part I really wanted to know what happened next. I also really liked the world building. Everything was nicely described and I felt totally immersed in the fantasy world created here. There were lots of little subtle details that made th I was given this book to review through a goodreads group where I've offered to review books for Indie's.
There were lots of little subtle details that made the whole thing feel real and believable. On a not so good note, the execution and the craft of writing felt quite weak. The book had been proofread and I don't think I found a single error in the entire book but there was a lot of head hopping and I often grew confused as the point of view switched around the heads of all the characters.
The writer also seemed to think it necessary to tag all the dialogue almost every single time someone spoke and it broke up the conversation a lot. I think it would have flowed better if most of the 'asked's, 'replied's and even some of the 'said's were removed and, where unclear, action tags were put in instead.
I also felt the characters were a little lacking in differences. Everyone spoke exactly the same way. From the orphaned boys to the wise archmage, they all formed sentences exactly the same way and reasoned as if they were all one person. I think there should have been some more varied dialogue for the different characters to make them feel mroe individual.
They would further convince us to help preserve our planet's precious ecology, and work towards preserving our future. I thought the writing flowed very well. There was an effort to bring about a peaceful resolution ending in nought. There were lots of little subtle details that made the whole thing feel real and believable. Lydia marked it as to-read Jul 29, Many of Cadfael's brother monks had been sent as children to the monastery.
Overall I think this book and author have a lot of potential and talent, I just think they still a few things to learn about the craft of writing. After reading this, The Aduramis Chronicles are set to become one seriously epic masterpiece!
I don't really like the fantasy genre. I started the book with a negative thought at the back of my mind that the book wouldn't be for me and I'd give it up within a few pages. Hell was I wrong! The writing is fabulous. Whether it's a battle, a ritual, or a landscape that is described, you just feel like you're there, and you get to feel for the characters. But what I really enjoyed most of all i Oh wow. But what I really enjoyed most of all is the work around the characters.
You're introduced to them gradually, which really helps when you're not used to dealing with orcs, elves, giants and all that, and there is no pressure trying to remember who's who all the time, so you can actually focus on the book. The other great thing is that Harrison allows you to get acquainted with the characters, but gives you just enough information to complete the story without getting you lost in sub-stories. That allows you to keep track of the main plot, and this while raising your curiosity about some of the characters, their past, and what made them who they are.
And I sincerely hope that these questions that came up in my head will be answered in the next 15 stories. Because I sure am going to read every single one of them. My first thought was that it was a really ambitious plan. But it seems Harrison's got it all under control, and methinks those Chronicles as a whole are going to be something rather awesome.
I actually decided to finish this book instead of dropping it because a book I waited to come out for the past year was published a few days ago. I had to finish this one first. That's how much I liked it. Can't wait for the next book to come out: There are humans, mages, elves, orcs, dragons, gods, giants, dwarves and, as they say, much much more!
Initially, as the background was being set and the characters introduced, I felt a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of it all, but to be fair, it was setting the scene for a much longer epic story line. Once he did though, the story pressed on much more comfortably and became both intriguing and exciting. This bloke is Evil! As the first book in a series, this sets the scene well and leaves the reader with hanging questions which will obviously be pursued in the later books.
I grew to know the characters and warmed to their personalities as the story progressed though they were not all likable - I do love to have a Wicked Uncle to hate! For fantasy lovers, this will definitely be a series to follow. I am not usually a fantasty reader so I was a little scpetical when this book was first recommended to me.
However, I couldn't put it down!
It kept me engaged from the very start and now I am eager to see what the rest of the Aduramis Chronicles has to offer! A well written book with twists and turns to keep you guessing. It felt original and each page led me to wanting to find out more, I was quite upset when I had finished it as I want to read on! I found I quickly identified with the characters I am not usually a fantasty reader so I was a little scpetical when this book was first recommended to me. I found I quickly identified with the characters, Coinin and Marrock, and felt as though I knew them.
I also found the dialogue between the characters funny and realistic, you could imagine yourself standing there with them listening to it in person. I really want to read on to the next masterpiece in the Aduramis Chronicles, eagerly awaiting the next book! Oct 24, Ahnah rated it it was amazing. I received a copy of this book from the author so I could be set to read the forthcoming second installment of this grand fantasy adventure. Brillianty written with non-stop action and adventure from page one. Following the tale of two brothers who are thrown into a life for which they could never have seen coming.
This novel is for fans of Tolkien, Martin, Brooks and anyone who loves fantasy!!!! Well thought out and paced, keeping me interested to the end. Can't wait to read the next instalment. Feb 15, Evan Swinbanks rated it it was amazing. What a fantastic fantasy book that all should read, it's a great story for all ages. I haven't read a book in a while because I couldn't find one that I wanted to read so I gave up looking until a friend was telling me about Destiny of the Wulf which intrigued me so I decided to buy the book on Amazon.
This was going to take 3 to 4 working days but I wanted to read it now so I but the kindle edition of the book and I was so right in doing this I couldn't put the book down I stopped paying attent What a fantastic fantasy book that all should read, it's a great story for all ages. This was going to take 3 to 4 working days but I wanted to read it now so I but the kindle edition of the book and I was so right in doing this I couldn't put the book down I stopped paying attention to the world around me. I was so interested for the adventure and the Destiny that Coinin and Marrok his brother was going to go through.
Every character I got introduced to I fell in love with them.
When I was close to finishing this book I decided to but the second book early because I needed to know what was going to happen on the journey. I would happily recommend this book to anyone in need of a book that needs to keep them occupied. Oct 08, R. Destiny of the Wulf is one of those rare books that really grabs you on every level and surpasses your expectations. It is a story of magic, revenge and a destiny to save the planet, and it is epic in every sense of the word. I truly became part of the world Davies has created; the attention to detail is something to behold think Tolkien for the 21st century and I did not want to leave.
Unfortunately for my social life there is a sequel which I am yet to read. Dec 12, Nat Pollard rated it really liked it. A pretty easy read. It lacked a little depth and complexity, but I still enjoyed it enough to move on to the next in the series. Oct 15, Buttercupp77 rated it liked it Shelves: The premise of this book is intriguing and the broad plot was solid. I think the author attempted too much for one novel - that the story would have been better served by better developing both the world and the characters and leaving some of the major events for development in later installments.
That there are different races co-existing orcs, elves, humans, dwarves, giants, etc is fascinating. I think there should have been better development of prejudices, perhaps some history of race rela The premise of this book is intriguing and the broad plot was solid. I think there should have been better development of prejudices, perhaps some history of race relations in this universe, etc. While it's not feasible to do so for every race, there are at least two that the brothers encounter quite intimately. The lack of context for these interactions made them far less powerful than I think they should have been.
I really appreciate the attention to spirituality - it's an area that many fantasy writers ignore and yet it's something universal to human cultures. There is a clear religion at least for humans and there is a definite attempt to create a mythology and pantheon. Unfortunately, this was again, not developed enough for me. This element has a pretty dramatic impact on the plot, and I feel that introducing it earlier and in more detail would have seemed much more authentic.
The characters are interesting. I did find that their dialogue sounds exactly the same, regardless of age, gender, and supposed temperament. I think this is a missed opportunity to develop the characters as individuals in a vivid way for the reader for example, Coinan undergoes a pretty significant developmental experience and I think his use of language should have reflected that in a much more pronounced way.
There are also characters that are very superfluous - their appearance in this book makes no sense unless they're to play a larger role in subsequent installments, but even then, they should have a part to play in the current story, too. I also felt that the characters, in general, lacked depth. They didn't feel real, so when they faced heartbreak and despair, I wasn't really drawn into that emotionally. I think this is a good start and the author has potential, but I think more work on world and character building is in order.
I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only. Mar 20, Brian Wilkerson rated it did not like it. It's about two brothers, Coinin and Marrok, and how they are chosen by destiny to save the world from the god of Death. All of these crusading characters are depicted as sterling, model knights, brave and chivalrous, and the crusading enterprise itself is invariably regarded by all characters as a most noble and worthy cause.
There is occasional oblique mention of acts of cruelty committed in the course of the Crusades. In conversation with a fellow crusader, Cadfael remarks, "After the killing that was done in Jerusalem, of so many who held by the Prophet, I say they deserved better luck against us than they had. While on various occasions Cadfael makes remarks showing him not pleased with such brutalities, the references are rarely specific.
Cadfael as all other characters never casts any doubt on the morality of carving out a Christian kingdom in the Muslim East and maintaining it by force; indeed, it would have been anachronistic to have him express such doubts. Cadfael's experience of the Crusades didn't lead to bigotry.
Cadfael remembers Mariam, a Muslim woman, as "well worth the loving," and had many other profitable friendships with Arabs and Muslims. His companion from The Leper of Saint Giles , who spent many years as a captive of the Fatimid Egyptians, agrees, saying he always found his hosts "chivalrous and courteous," who gave him medical help and supported him in his convalescence. Thirteen of the books were adapted for television.
They starred Derek Jacobi. The sequence of the television episodes differs from the sequence of the novels. Within the individual screenplays, with one major exception, most are reasonably faithful to the books, being modified primarily to minimise the size of the speaking cast, the running time of the script, or the need for extravagant special effects. Only in the books, Cadfael speaks Welsh and translates for several non-English-speaking Welshmen. One episode, The Pilgrim of Hate , bears almost no resemblance to the eponymous book save the presence of a few characters sharing the names but not the actions of the characters in the book.
In The Holy Thief , one of the characters is turned into a villain. In the episode Monk's Hood , Hugh has a somewhat larger role than in the book, following Cadfael to the court and suffering a stab wound when he walks in unexpectedly on Cadfael's accusation of the true criminal. In The Rose Rent, Cadfael gives the young wife a potion to ease her terminally ill husband's pain, warning her that too much will kill him; in the next scene, the man is dead, implying a mercy killing. In the book, there is no such implication; the man dies of his illness without any hint that Cadfael or the widow acted to hasten his end.
The character of Hugh Beringar is markedly different in the television series, particularly in his relationship with Cadfael. In the series, Hugh is the sheriff who sometimes helps, and sometimes hinders Cadfael - friendly but maintaining a professional relationship. In the books, despite the more than thirty years difference in their ages, Hugh and Cadfael are best friends who think alike in crucial ways, particularly as to what is justice. Hugh appears in all of the books except A Morbid Taste for Bones , whilst Aline does not appear in any of the subsequent television episodes.
She appears in several of the books, where she plays an important role in sheltering women Saint Peter's Fair , An Excellent Mystery, One Corpse Too Many , The Sanctuary Sparrow , and even when she does not appear in the books, Hugh speaks of her constantly and fondly. In the books, Hugh marries Aline and they have a son, Giles, named for Aline's dead brother. Cadfael is the godfather of Hugh's son, and he confides several of his deepest secrets only to Hugh. These are numbered in order of the time in which the novel was set and the order of publication.
Each book has been published in hardback and paperback, and in a number of languages. A Rare Benedictine is in the order of publication, but not in the order of setting. That book includes three short stories describing how Cadfael, man-at-arms in the Crusades and Normandy, joined a Benedictine monastery.
Note that the numbering of the Brother Cadfael Chronicles as published in paperback by Mysterious Press does not include "A Rare Benedictine" instead, the cover refers to it as "The Advent Of Brother Cadfael" ; the total of the numbered chronicles by Mysterious Press is therefore 20 per the covers of this set.
All of the novels are also available as audiobooks. The series is also available as e-books from multiple sources, as noted in the publication history for each novel. The first two novels in the series, along with Cadfael Country: Shropshire and the Welsh Borders , are available as one edition from Mysterious Press. Seven Cadfael Omnibus editions were published, with three novels in each volume.
Most are available as paperbacks, and were later published in hardback. BBC Radio 4 produced adaptations of several novels in the Cadfael Chronicle with three different actors voicing Cadfael. Filmed on location in Hungary and starring Sir Derek Jacobi. All thirteen episodes have been released on DVD. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved November 13, A History of the County of Shropshire: Retrieved 28 December The Benediction of Brother Cadfael.
Retrieved 21 July Retrieved 14 April