Tag: Wayne Thomas Batson

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BOOK REVIEW: SWORD IN THE STARS, Book #1 in Wayne Thomas Batson’s THE MYRIDIAN CONSTELLATION Series

I have a somewhat long history with Wayne Thomas Batson’s Sword in the Stars, book one in the newly renamed The Myridian Constellation series. I picked up the original version of this book when it came out almost 10 years ago now after reading his Isle of Swords pirate novel. I got about one-third into that version and put it down for other books, as I felt a little bored and left wondering when the story would pick up.

So when I saw that Batson was about to re-release Sword in the Stars in an “author-ized” version, I was intrigued and somewhat excited to try this epic fantasy series again. And I must say: it did not disappoint. If you are looking for an incredible, action-packed fantasy adventure with elements of horror, this is definitely the series to read.

Just when retired-assassin Alastair Coldhollow is ready to give up hope of ever finding the coming Halfainin — a savior long-promised to save the land of Myriad — a mysterious constellation appears in the sky: a sword in the stars. As Coldhollow searches for the Halfainin, dark forces stir setting into motion a plot that will change what the world has known about everything. Ancient evils whisper in the darkness. Half-hearted kings seek new resolve. And nation rises against nation, seeking to end life for anyone standing in their bloodthirsty way.

Sword in the Stars is true epic fantasy with multiple plot threads weaving in and out of each other leading to a breathtaking climax. Part of the fun of a book like this is exploring the world the author has created. And Myriad is one of those worlds. There are so many cities, caves, secret passages, and forgotten corners of this world, it kept my imagination peaked. Batson is at the top of his game giving us a fleshed out setting without the copious amounts of descriptive passages upon passages. At the opening of every chapter are short vignettes from lore, holy books, fireside conversations captured on paper, and bits of almanac-esque information that serves to further expand the world set up here in the first of seven novels.

At times, I did wonder whether this book classified as a young adult novel or an adult fantasy epic novel. It sometimes wavers between the two, and most often in the way characters are depicted. At times some of the dialogue comes across as definitely belonging to a young adult book, but at other times, the action and violence seem to bring this book to the adult world. It straddles an interesting line, and I can’t help but wonder if that is simply because it was written under a YA banner ten years ago and then updated, or whether the author unintentionally wrote it that way.

Some of the characters are fairly obvious and straightforward and hit the tropes of a fantasy novel, and others are highly intriguing and kept me wondering when we would return to their storyline. Not all of the threads are tied off by the end of the book, and The Errant King in book two picks up with other characters and continues their stories.

At the end of the day, if you are looking for a beautifully written, fast-paced fantasy adventure, then I highly recommend Sword in the Stars.

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5 Fantasy Authors You Should Be Reading

I’ll admit it: I love reading fantasy stories. There’s just something about the adventure, excitement, quests, monsters, and worlds that are so fascinating and fun to read. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I grew up reading L. Frank Baum’s Oz books from the early 1900’s. Maybe it’s the 1980’s fantasy movies like The Neverending Story and Return to Oz I grew up watching. Either way, fantasy stories are undeniably a good time.

So here are five of my favorite Christian fantasy authors (in no particular order!) that you should be reading:

1. Wayne Thomas Batson

Mr. Batson has written a lot of novels, from epic high fantasy stories like his The Door Within trilogy, to high seas piratical adventures in The Isle Chronicles books, you can’t go wrong with a Batson novel. If you’re looking for rollicking good adventures, I recommend starting with Isle of Swords or Curse of the Spider King. Currently, Batson blogs regularly at Enter the Door Within.

2. Brock Eastman

Although The Quest for Truth series is technically a space opera, there is plenty of sci-fi/fantasy action to keep readers entertained with any of Brock Eastman’s books. Along with his four-part space series, Eastman is also the author of Howlsage, a super fascinating take on spiritual warfare. I couldn’t stop reading Howlsage once I had picked it up. It takes the idea of what if all these different monsters we read about in popular mythology are actually demonic? And what if a group of people were tasked with fighting those spiritual forces of wickedness? He’s also working on a series with author Travis Thrasher (one of my all-time favorite authors), so how can you go wrong?

Brock is very active on social media, and can be found on Facebook.

3. P.W. Catanese

If you’re looking for an author who’s plot twists pull no punches, then look no further than P.W. Catanese. I first read his book Happenstance Found, book one in The Books of Umber series, and I have not gasped out loud so many times in my life. There is an incredibly shocking twist near the end that left me floored and clamoring for the next two books in the trilogy. His other books also tie in loosely to the world of Umber, and I recommend his Further Tales Adventures highly.

Find out more about Mr. Catanese on Facebook.

4. Brandon Mull

One of my favorite authors, Brandon Mull is the author of multiple amazing series, including Fablehaven, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms. Although some of his more recent books have become slightly formulaic, his earlier books are sure to please with fast-moving narratives, exciting adventures, and oftentimes some of the most aggravating situations for characters in all of fiction. So many times I have sat reading a Mull novel and asked myself, “How are these characters ever going to escape this?” And Brandon never disappoints when he does answer that question.

Mull hangs out on the Internet Webs here.

5. E.J. Patten

Okay. This last author on the list is also one of my favorites, but also is one of the most aggravating. Not because his books aren’t good. Because his books are amazing. Return to Exile still remains one of my most memorable reading journeys ever. It’s because there are not enough books from Mr. Patten! You can’t do wrong though to check out this incredible author and the crazy imagination he has. Literally. His imagination is awesomely crazy. Some of the things he has put into his novels boggled my mind with their inventiveness and sheer creativity. I know I am eagerly waiting for the day when book three releases. Did I also mention that he’s hilarious?

E.J. Patten blogs away at Patten Pending.

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BOOK REVIEW: Isle of Stars by Wayne Thomas Batson

When I first heard Wayne Thomas Batson would be returning to the world of pirates, I was beside myself with excitement. Isle of Swords and Isle of Fire were two of my favorites when they first came out back in 2007 and 2008, respectively. So to hear that another installment in what was truly an incredible series of books would be arriving soon was enough to get me itching to return to a world of pirates, swordplay, and adventure. And Batson definitely does not disappoint here.

To begin with, Isle of Stars is a shorter story than the first two books in what is now known as The Isle Chronicles. The story is smaller is scope than the previous two, and the characterization is much more subdued than before. Also, Batson weaves in characters from his Dreamtreaders series, and readers unfamiliar with those books may be lost at the beginning of the book. Also, the plot device to bring in those characters from Dreamtreaders is a little forced, which may turn some readers off.

The story this time circles around Cat and Anne, who are going to be getting married soon — hopefully by Christmas, but no guarantees what with pirates about — when word arrives that the nefarious pirate, Captain Tobias Dredd has surfaced and is looking for the legendary Isle of Stars, an island that has never been desecrated by human sin. When Dredd kidnaps young Hopper, it is up to the crew of Captain Declain Ross’ ship to rescue him and stop Dredd from reaching the starlit isle before it’s too late.

Isle of Stars moves very quickly, and returns the reader to the world of the Batson’s pirates in a way that left me wanting much, much more. I was aching by the last page for another full novel set in this world, and time will tell if Batson plans to return here later. There is some violence here as well that does come across a bit shocking when it arrives, but it fits the world created here.The climax of the book does come rather quickly as well, and I had to stop and take stock of where things were at a couple of times to make sure I was still following the storyline.

All said, Isle of Stars is a very welcome addition to The Isle Chronicles, and I deeply hope Batson continues to put out more of these kinds of adventure stories. Here’s to hoping.

You can purchase this book on Amazon.com.