Christopher KellenReseñas

Previous reviews had me looking forward to this short story. It may have worked better if the author had taken the time to explain the magic the arbiters command. Manna sword? And was the casual self stabbing (to be re-energized? Wha-?) supposed to shock the reader or confuse him? D'arden Tal is blessed with premonitions that, in spite of years of rigorous training and two years spent traveling with an alleged Master, he consistently ignores. This entire confrontation, in fact, feels like it is his first. Ever. Master Havox, who grins incessantly and most irritatingly, leaves this poor sap mostly on his own, then 'wisely' figures out the whole problem and *snap,* we're done. It felt like he is either crazy or knows something the reader does not -- and never will. The setting lent an air of creepiness, but I still want to know what those original lights were and where they went. Too many details are either missing or don't make sense. The story is, at best, unfinished. As a prologue, it did nothing to inspire me to look for further works.

It was good and exciting. The book has an interesting plot. I may pick up the next book in the series.

I received this book FREE in exchange for an HONEST review. This is my OPINION...your opinion may be different. I hope his review does not sound too negative. I believe in giving HONEST reviews that help the author and possible future readers. If I give 4 or 5 star reviews to every book in an effort to "spare" feelings, I am defeating the purpose of a review. I'm a pretty tough critic when it comes to editing your work and writing mechanics. BUT, if I can lose myself in a story and feel the story, I usually can't see the small mistakes. After all, we are reading for enjoyment and perhaps get away from our reality for a while. If you get that, what else really matters? If for some reason I don't feel connected with the story, every mistake seems to be a neon sign screaming for my attention. Unfortunately, this book had MANY neon signs for me.

Honestly, I can't even recall much of the story after having forced myself through this...the general idea of the story is - "The three main characters are trying to stop the evil villain from doing evil things. Oh, and the evil villain is one of the main character's father." (see where the title came from? "Sins of the Father")

1) To start off, the dialog was forced and weak. There was one point (near the beginning) that two characters are talking and the author use the characters' names in the dialog for no other reason than to let the third character (who is just around the corner) know that the two speaking are "friends" and not the prison guards chasing her.
2) The characters all seemed uninteresting to me. I didn't feel connected with them in any way.
3) Quite a few places in the storyline seemed like the author was reliving his favorite books/movies through his own story. Maybe I am just making connections that the author didn't really intend, but again, this is my opinion. The way the two characters broke into the prison reminded me of Star Wars. In another section, it sounded like the author was copying Bilbo's birthday speech from Fellowship of the Ring (“…pressing the comm button and trying not to sound half as exhausted as he felt. If he had succeeded half as well as he hoped…”)

Another thing that bothered me was the constant use of the same words and the lack of "wordsmithing". The writing doesn't seem to have been edited for flow or "readability", it's just thrown out there. Examples directly from book: “and the tiny stand-by grav signature of its engines on stand-by”…they lowered the noses of their weapons and he threw it at their noses (

This review was written for LibraryThing Members giveaway.

Genre : Grim setting and some fairly gory scenes but the protagonist's paladin-like dedication and good will untainted by cynicism (at least at this stage in his story) probably make this Heroic rather than Dark Fantasy.

The prose makes for great visuals but can be a bit clunky or even repetitive in some spots. I also wasn't too fond of how obvious and color-coded good/pure vs evil/corrupt were described to be, but the reader patient enough to keep at it should reach those later parts in the story which hint that there may be more to the Arbiters than D'Arden believed he knew.

(Disclaimer: Received this ebook free through the LibraryThing ER/Member Giveaway program)

Very enjoyable book. I'm looking forward to reading Volume 2 in the series someday.

Just an aside: I loved the cover, not all Smashwords books have such nice cover artwork.

This book follows the actions of Thomas Atherton, First Administrator of the Kildare Syndicate and his machinations to cement his power and restore the failing economy of the Syndicate. He's willing to sacrifice his own people to do this. The heroine of the work is Trace Atherton, Thomas' daughter (cloned from his dead wife). She escapes from a hellish prison and is expected to lead a rebel movement of sorts to bring down her own father.

The author does a great job of meshing the different approaches and viewpoints of multiple arcs and their participants. An example is in the same stretch of the book; there is a sabotaged ship, the heroine's ship, the ship of her brother who at first is not by any means her ally, and the ship that could bring the death of millions of people on the planet below. There was a great amount of dialogue and scene description and of course action all going on and the author managed it well.

Truthfully, the book put me in mind a bit of the Honor Harrington books by David Weber. Just the heroine and her tough appeal, not to mention the fortitude she displays when so much is asked of her and she must recover so quickly from 7 years of unjust imprisonment.

At the end the author did a nice quick turn-around and dropped a little bombshell (no pun intended) on me. What I expected to be the cliffhanger leading into the future Volume 2 in the series wasn't what I got at the end, which was nice.

The characters and their exchanges all felt real and they definitely had their strengths and faults, just like we all do.

My pet peeves are the usual little things that take away just a pinch from the experience and make an otherwise great book into a good book. There were a few places in my ebook epub edition (from about Dec 2012) that wording issues and some typos occur. I still enjoyed the premise, the execution, and the characters involved in the book overall, but I think a tiny bit of final editing would have made this work shine.

I'd recommend this (e)book to sci-fi enthusiasts in general and military sci-fi readers particularly.

I'm not sure how good an IT specialist Mr Kellen is but he can certainly write a good story. Excellent adventure yarn. Arbiter D' Arden has been sent to the city of Calessa to rid the magical manna of corruption. D'Arden thinks this is going to be like any other cleansing, but he has a suprise waiting for him. Great descritions give for good visuals and this was an excellent way to spend the afternoon in the sun.½

http://osgabookreviews.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/the-corpse-king-by-christopher-k...
I was pleasantly surprised but this short! I’ve read quite a bit of self-published work lately and this ranks up there with some of the best I’ve read. Of course, it helps that this is Sword & Sorcery…a favorite of mine. ;-)

There were a few things that bothered me - the section when D’Arden meets the old man felt a little off and I would have liked a bit more depth in some places.

One of the things I would have liked to have seen given greater explanation was the magic system. I do realize that this short story is prequel to a full trilogy but I feel that each portion needs to be able to stand alone. In this story the magic isn’t explained – it’s taken for granted that the reader had some prior knowledge of the series.

All in all, I rather enjoyed it and I’ll go into reading the first book in the trilogy with a lot more excitement.

Recommended!

http://osgabookreviews.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/the-corpse-king-by-christopher-k...
I was pleasantly surprised but this short! I’ve read quite a bit of self-published work lately and this ranks up there with some of the best I’ve read. Of course, it helps that this is Sword & Sorcery…a favorite of mine. ;-)

There were a few things that bothered me - the section when D’Arden meets the old man felt a little off and I would have liked a bit more depth in some places.

One of the things I would have liked to have seen given greater explanation was the magic system. I do realize that this short story is prequel to a full trilogy but I feel that each portion needs to be able to stand alone. In this story the magic isn’t explained – it’s taken for granted that the reader had some prior knowledge of the series.

All in all, I rather enjoyed it and I’ll go into reading the first book in the trilogy with a lot more excitement.

Recommended!

A very well written book about how absolute power corrupts absolutely. A lot of action and suspense, jail break, backstabbing and trying to achieve and keep favor and power. A good read which kept your interest from start to finish. Science Fiction at it's best.½

This was a very good book, enjoyed all of the twists and turns that this story gave. Having a scifi last name I like to read and good scifi book and this did not disappoint.

Received this book through lt member giveaway

Thomas Atherton is the first administrator of the Kildare Syndicate. He has reached that position by scheming and assasination. He cloned his dead wife whilst enhancing her genes. The result, Trace, who was destined to be his accomplish instead turns against him resulting in Trace being jailed.

Now a new complot to start a war is at hand. Old friends spring Trace from jail after which a stellar hunt begins to prevent the complot from happening and millions from dying at the hand of her father.

This us an action packed scifi novel of the classical kind. War ships in space, amazing technology and a plot twist near the end. This is the first scifi novel the author has produced according to the book, lets hope more will follow shortly.

I was given a copy of the first book in this series (Elegy) last year and was blown away by Kellen's work. He's a newer author and while is work is still a little rough around the edges, there is so much fun and such cool stories in his books that you're willing to over look those bumpy spots.

Legacy is a great new fantasy work by a up-and-coming author. I loved the first volume, loved the second volume and cannot wait for the third one!

This is a short story, just 33 pages in PDF, but I get the feeling that it is meant as the setting for more adventures to come. I look forward to reading them.

The story is written in First Person through the eyes of the sorcerer Edar Moncrief. His human fallibilities are apparent from the start, but I found myself warming up to him as a believable and clever character who has sense if not always discretion.

I don't want to give away the plot so I'll just say that faced with a no-win circumstance beyond his control, he shows a resourcefulness based in intelligence and perhaps a smattering of luck. The magic in the story is carefully thought out and artfully portrayed with parameters that will make perfect sense to the Fantasy reader and sufficient limitations to prevent any 'convenient' solutions to problems that wit and good reflexes are more suited to solving.

The characterisation is strong and the setting expressed clearly. The city puts me in mind of the Thieves' World series which is known for having gritty characters and dangerous rules for survival. I'd like to give this one 4 1/3 stars if it were possible, not quite 5 as it was just a little too easy to read at first but certainly a strong 4 as it drew me in and made me want to read more. I shall definitely read more of Christopher Kellen.

D’Arden Tal is drawn to Calessa to purify the corrupted manna contained within it’s walls. The corruption is so bad that the land surrounding Calessa has died and there is a pervading chill to the air. D’Arden at first thinks that the vast corruption has come from a demon. With the help of the captain of the guard and a young soldier, Mikel, he starts exploring the different areas of the city.

In the high quarter, D’Arden and Mikel discover that most of the people have been turned into zombie like creatures and other have been kept alive for tortuous entertainment. The more he tries to purify the corrupted manna, the worse things seem to get.

Then he stumbles upon a young lady, Elisa, which is the last of a group of guards that were attacked by demons. D’Adren pairs up with her making her an offer to further her training if she survives. With a turn of events, D’Adren’s knowledge of becoming an Arbiter changes with Elisa. Will D’Adren be able to purify Calessa? What will become of Elisa?

I really enjoyed this book. I can’t believe that I didn’t read this sooner. What a great story with lots of potential for other books. I got sucked in when D’Adren first kills a fel beast at the gates to Calessa to Elisa. There were some great twists and horrible creatures that you just want destroyed.

If you like fantasy, this is one book that you have to read. I just discovered that The Corpse King takes place 60 years before this story is free on Amazon (as of 7/17/12). I had to get that and I have the second book, Legacy, on my wish list.

I received this book for free from the Library Thing Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the book. I liked the characters, plot twists and the world created in the story. It is well written and well edited. And I would definitely like to know what happens next..½

Elegy is a dark fantasy about the struggle for light to survive in a world where darkness is both strong and prevalant. In many places, the life-force has become corrupt resulting in unimaginable horrors. The main protagonist is an Arbiter, whose job it is to seek out such corruption and cleanse the life-force - no easy feat. This book had me riveted from beginning to end. The final twist was unpredictable and I was left wanting more. I actually went searching for the sequel but, alas, it is yet to written! Many e-books show sloppy editing and bad grammar - this is not one of them. Not once was I distracted from the story because of poor spelling or mis-placed words. I highly recommend this book to fans of the fantasy genre.

Summoned to the dying city of Calessa, D'Arden Tal has been tasked with wiping out the evil lies within. Mind you, he's no ordinary mortal. He lives the life of an Arbiter, beings who have been blessed with the true power of manna, the world's life source. Only those who are able to manipulate that power are able to cleanse the corruption that inhabits the world around them. His crystalline sword, made from manna's very essence, gives him the strength he needs to conquer the atrocities that hide within those darkened corners waiting for unsuspecting passersby.

Encountering the evil on the very day he sets foot within Calessa, D'Arden can't help but wonder as to what it is that he's gotten into. While the corruption is strongly apparent, he's determined to complete his task and cleanse the filth from its very walls.

Acquiring the help of a local, he sets off into the heart of the city, intent on finding the culprit's lair. The scent of death and decay strengthens with their every step, yet he doesn't let this fact deter him. He sends the boy away upon arriving at the nearest source of the corruption, never knowing that it'll have the direst of consequences.

Preparing himself for what's to come, he soon achieves a portion of what he set out to do. Yet he knows it's not enough. Something is still out there and it, too, needs to be cleansed. Invoking the spirit of manna, he marches head on into what could very well be the last time he ever sets eyes on the skies above.

A truly fantastic read! I enjoyed every minute of it. Christopher has built a very intriguing and complex world that captivates the reader from the very moment they begin reading his book. The action starts at the very beginning and is consistent through out the entire story. I recommend this sword and sorcery fantasy to all those who enjoy reading fantasy books.

I am a huge fan of fantasy so, when I received this novella through the Members Giveaway, I really looked forward to reading it. I enjoyed it quite a lot. I thought the story and the magic system was very interesting. However, I thought that both could have used a little more development as did the characters. This strikes me as the kind of story that could easily be an epic fantasy series if there was more added to the story. Still if you are looking for a short fantasy story with interesting magic, this is not too shabby. I look forward to seeing where it will go in the future.

Like many others who have previously reviewed this book, I received my e-book copy as part of member giveaway and found myself pleasantly surprised by it. I agree with some that the character development isn't deep, yet you learn enough about D'Arden, the main character, to know that he has not reached a point where the temptation of evil will be a problem. I say that because I think I see the seeds of future stories where he may be more tempted. We will see.

I read a chapter in this short novel each night for five nights. During the day, I found myself thinking about what might happen next. That is a good sign when I am reading a book and find myself wondering about the next chapter or the outcome. This book kept my interest and I had to use some will power to stop each night at the end of a chapter.

The basic 'magic' in the book is through the use of manna. Manna isn't good or evil except in how people and other living things use it. Manna fonts are locations where the pure manna comes up like a fountain and can be used to replenish health or to corrupt for evil purposes. D'Arden is an arbiter, someone who works to insure that the use of manna is not corrupted and fights the evil application of manna by people, creatures and demons.

The story revolves around the corruption of manna in a single city. For about five years the city has been under the influence of a corrupting force and it is up to D'Arden to determine who or what is the source of that corruption.

I am putting the suthor on my watch list to see where he takes the story next. My congratulations to him for a well told tale that has plenty of opportunity to be expanded and deepened in future efforts.

Read this book from front to cover in slightly under one hour. I was just sucked into the story which is a classic good-bad story with an original hero and a lot of magic involved. Do not expect any deep philosophy from this book about what is good and bad, though near the end the book does scratches the surface of this. The story revolves about something called 'Manna' which is described as the life source. It can be corrupted by the bad (demons, tainted spiders, turned wolves etc). Arbiter's fight this corruption, trying to cleanse it from the corruption. All in all as said a classic good-bad scenario...

My main reservation with this book (and hence just the four stars) is that the characters could have been set down better. At the end of the book we still hardly know what an Arbiter is and mostly who the main person, Arbiter D'arden is as a person. Small pieces of the puzzle are revealed, but not enough to completely understand the character. To bad as this would have given the story just that something more that is given by the great writers that Cristopher Kellen tells us he is so inspired by.

This type of novel is not always my favorite pick, but I am glad that I received it through Library Thing or I would have missed a very good read. While I think that the beginning of the novel is a bit heavy---it made me feel as if I missed something important before, the character development and plot structure soon made it something that I found hard to put down. It is clear that Christopher Kellen understands the idea of the Hero's Journey and is able to incorporate it well in his writing. This is certainly a novel that I will encourage others to read!

I got a copy of the book via member giveaway and honestly I have reservations about emerging authors because most of them are either diamonds on the rough or just plain tumble stones.

So imagine my surprise when I picked up Elegy and found myself enjoying D'Arden and the rest of his 92-page (pdf) adventure in Calessa. It's reminiscent of Van Helsing, LOTR's Aragorn, and Wheel of Time's Lan Mandragoran, all alpha male. The instances where D'Arten pierces himself to inject fresh manna unto himself is just a pure act of macho if you ask me. And of course, the ultimate battle is like something from Star Wars and their sith lords.

I like the concept of manna and basically that's what the story is about. How it can go either way depending on who wields its power much like free will. And the monsters are completely Mr. Kellen's own, it might be similar to werewolves, vampires and other evil creatures but he reinvented it and made them into the monsters that they are and not some romanticized version of the myths.

Overall it needs a little tweaking in terms of the plot to make it more epic. Maybe Mr. Kellen can do this in the succeeding sequels. Be more ambitious with your story and make it more complicated as you go along so it builds up until it gets to a crescendo where everything just explodes into one big firework display that will put the 4th of July to shame.

Mr. Kellen, I think if you spend more time with your character, communing with them and let them tell their story, I think it can reach the same if not greater heights as The Sword of Truth and Wheel of Time. I like your style and how the story is all action without the distractions of over analyzing things and the import of emotions in decision making, qualities that usually describes the work of female authors.

And with this I think we are in need of more male authors in the Paranormal/Urban Fantasy genre. Maybe the surge of men will end the Emo Movement that has gone on for too long in my opinion.

- follow us on talksupe.blogspot.com -½

Picked this up in a Library Thing giveaway and had no idea what to expect. It's always tough to get into a new fantasy world that you don't know anything about, especially when it is by a new author. Luckily, Elegy:The Arbiter Codex by Christopher Kellen, was a really solid read. While he did kind of toss the reader into the deep end with the start of the story, he did a great job in detailing the world and characters. At no time was I lost or confused by the rules he set up or the story. I really enjoyed it and hope he puts out another book in the series soon!