Gathering (Chronicles of Empire 1) is now available

I came off my bike on Tuesday and have spent the last few days in hospital. This book really helped me get through the interminable hours of waiting. I'm really enjoying it. It reminds me of Brandon Sanderson in scope and style. This is a good thing!

@Brian G Turner, I've borrowed it for free on my Kindle as part of my Prime membership. Does this benefit you in any way? I don't really know how it works for authors and I prefer knowing that I'm helping creators in some way. I'll write a review for Goodreads as I know that helps.
 
Idoru said:
I came off my bike on Tuesday and have spent the last few days in hospital. This book really helped me get through the interminable hours of waiting. I'm really enjoying it. It reminds me of Brandon Sanderson in scope and style. This is a good thing!

@Brian G Turner, I've borrowed it for free on my Kindle as part of my Prime membership. Does this benefit you in any way? I don't really know how it works for authors and I prefer knowing that I'm helping creators in some way. I'll write a review for Goodreads as I know that helps.
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The author gets paid for each page you read. :)
 
I've ordered the PB, now I've found something else I wanted to order at the same time so I could get free delivery. (Ironically, Brian, I would have bought it sooner if you'd priced it at £10.99 :D)
 
I was lucky to be chosen to read an ARC of the first book. It was a digital copy, and I liked it so much that I will be getting the PB version to put on my shelf.
 
Well, I really enjoyed it. (Don't read further, Brian: you have five more books to publish and I don't like waiting!!!)

I may put a review up on Amazon (I have, in the past, managed just the one), but in the meantime, I wanted to point out one (good) thing I noticed. It isn't a spoiler as such, but I'll use the spoiler function anyway.

There were at least a couple of occasions when someone or other grabbed the wrong end of the stick about something, but I was pleased to see that even when the (wrong) information persisted, there were characters who suspected a mistake had been made (in one case, for logical reasons, in another, because they hoped it was untrue). The ones that didn't suspect a mistake seemed to have received the information at third or fourth hand, and with no evidence to tell them it might be untrue -- so had no reason to question it. And while, in at least one case, it did change the way the plot went (at least on the surface, and it did change how the characters involved looked at things), it didn't change the fundamentals of the underlying story (give or take how that change of perspective pans out over the series).

By this point, you may have realised that I really dislike those soap-like misunderstandings that persist in the face of all logic and are used to drive the story. I'm pleased to see misunderstanding appearing -- and they do in real life -- that are not treated in such a cardboard-cutout manner.
 
Ursa major said:
I may put a review up on Amazon
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Glad you enjoyed it! Especially as I never had you down as a fantasy reader, so I hadn't expected you to. Re: the tag - it's a challenge to ensure characters retain a subjective rather than objective idea of events, but without confusing the reader.

And Amazon reviews are currency to writers - even just two words with a rating are massively helpful. :)
 
Brian G Turner said:
Glad you enjoyed it! Especially as I never had you down as a fantasy reader, so I hadn't expected you to.
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Thank you for writing it. :)

I do read some fantasy. For example:
  • LotR;
  • ASoIaF;
  • Charles Stross's "Merchant Princes" series (the first of the next trilogy is on pre-order) and the "Laundry" series, both of which mix fantasy, SF and political thriller;
  • the First Law trilogy;
  • the Mask and Dagger duology (my only Amazon review, so far, was of Goblin Moon; I finished reading Hobgoblin Night just before starting yours);
  • Francis Knight's "Rojan Dizon" series (Fade to Black, etc.)
  • Anne Lyle's Night's Masque trilogy (The Alchemist of Souls, etc.)
  • various China Miéville books (including the Bas-Lag trilogy)
  • Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
I enjoyed all of the above (which is why I didn't stop with/at the first book... unless there wasn't a second).

Now I do prefer straight SF... but, basically, I like a complicated, multi-threaded story with intrigue(s), a story written intelligently, with internal consistency). Fantasy, as a genre, does contain books that deliver this (as do other genres: SF, Crime, Thrillers, etc).

(I'm not sure what you mean by "the tag". Do you mean the PoV characters' names after the chapters titles? If so, I found them useful. :))
 
Also finished and enjoyed the book. I have posted my review on Amazon.com and then I went and bought the book (quite unusual for me these days). I liked this book probably better than any Fantasy book I've read and said as much.

I was unpleasantly surprised to find that mine was only the fifth review on Amazon.com; hope things are better at Amazon.uk.
 
After a long while absence from reading the genre, I'm glad to have started with this debut. Finished it last night and really enjoyed it, also left review on amazon. Well done, Brian! :)
 
Parson said:
Also finished and enjoyed the book. I have posted my review on Amazon.com and then I went and bought the book (quite unusual for me these days). I liked this book probably better than any Fantasy book I've read and said as much.
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Many, many thanks for that, Parson. :)

My one fear was Erin's struggle with her faith might come across to you as Christian-bashing - hopefully it didn't seem like that to you.

Parson said:
I was unpleasantly surprised to find that mine was only the fifth review on Amazon.com; hope things are better at Amazon.uk.
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There are 18 reviews on Amazon.co.uk, which is good, but I'm still waiting on reviews for Amazon.com to come. Patience is required both during writing, and after when publishing. :)
 
Brian G Turner said:
My one fear was Erin's struggle with her faith might come across to you as Christian-bashing - hopefully it didn't seem like that to you.
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No, quite the opposite. First, I didn't see it as Christian bashing in any sense. I didn't relate the religion of the Chronicles with Christianity, but more importantly I saw Erin's struggle with faith as a sign of someone who is struggling with one of the great conundrums of faith. "If God/Goddess is good and all powerful, why is there pain and suffering? Especially among those who are better than most." So even if I had seen an attempt to equate the religion there with Christianity I wouldn't have taken the slightest offense.
 
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