Blood of the Land (From the Sea, From the Earth) [Kindle Edition]

Martin Davey (Author)

Book Description

Three thousand years ago the gods came from the skies to save the world of man from the tyrannies of the Kings and Queens. Some fell to their knees and prayed before the gods who called themselves the Keepers and some took to the sword to fight alongside the Kings and Queens in the wars of Deliverance. All fell before the might of the gods from the skies.

For three thousand years the five Keepers have ruled the world of men. But times are changing. A new Captain of the Watch is haunted by dead loved ones returning to him, whispering from the shadows even as he does the bidding of dark-eyed agents of the Keepers. A woman has to flee her home, hunted because of her dreams, dreams of mysterious old gods and the people who worshipped them. And a man who defied the Keepers joins the Seekers in their search for the birthplace of the Blood Lord, a quest that will have him questioning his very identity.

Times are changing and the history of a world that has forgotten its own past will fight for the right to be remembered, brother will fight brother, father will fight son and one day the mystery of the gods from the skies will be answered.

Genre: Dark Fantasy
Length: 166,000 words
Cover Art and Design: Steve Criado

Product Details

• File Size: 697 KB
• Print Length: 407 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006V0DJHE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,112 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read. February 7, 2012

By S. Wilson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

At the time of writing this review there was only one other- R Finegold. I myself usually do not do review's, however i felt that there is a need for a good 'objective' review of "The Blood of the Land". Readers who have read GRRM will see various comparisons here. While the story material is very different, i felt that he was the closest writing style that i could compare too.

Before i write my review, i wanted to say that i do not completely agree with Finegold's statements that "Davey is a wordsmith most authors strive (in vain) to equal." Davey's descriptions and narrations are indeed both captivating and intriguing. However i would say that they fall a little below other descriptive authors like George R. R. Martin. It seemed that he at times added to much detail where it wasn't needed, and too little at times when i wanted more. Davey is a good writer, and i will be interested to see if such issues are slowly corrected in following books; if so it might just be an experience issue.

As far as sentence structure, grammar, and spelling, this (at least the kindle edition) is not a book for the perfectionist's out there. His editor needs to be replaced. There were more spelling issues in this book then ive seen in a while, and i read 5 books or so a month. Sentence structure and grammar wise there are a few bad run-ons, but was decent and readable. If you can look past the misspellings, they are definitely not a reason to not read the book.

What can you expect from "The Blood of the Land"?
- A very descriptive talented author.
- Varying view point characters. Not GRRM'ish. More reminiscent of Robert Jordan.
- A fairly straightforward plot. What i mean by this is there isn't alot of branching.
- While there seems to be a straightforward plot, there is alot of twists and turns along the way. Think "Red Wedding".

What do i not like about "The Blood of the Land"?
- As stated before i sometimes felt that the detailing was misplaced. Sometimes i felt left in dark. Other times i had to stop myself from scanning/skipping ahead.
- The current theological system is interesting. 9 Gods, only 5 are still alive (dont ask. read the book). However i kept getting confused about which gods were alive and which were not. IE: There is a scene where one of the Gods has influence in later in the book. Until then i fairly certain i hadn't heard his name as one of the 'alive gods'. It would be nice if he stated this in a straightforward way, or had a glossary with names and designations.
- Note: The following complaint might be solved in future novels: One of the story-lines (not the main one for those who have read the book) ended in a scene that was surprising but not shocking in the mountains. That scene seemed both rushed and confusing (one of places i would of like more detail). At the end of the book i still felt confused about what had happened and why it happened.

Do i recommend "The Blood of the Land?"?
-Yes. If you read as much fantasy as i do, you know that it is sometimes hard to find "Good" fantasy novels. I put this one in the top 10% that i have read.

One of my complaints about most fantasy novels is that they are straightforward, and have a very abrupt and definite definition of good and evil. Half way through you know how the book will end, and you know the good guys will prevail. Davey does a good job of stepping out of this common stereotype in "The Blood of the Land". I found myself internally 'switching sides' as the book went on and sometimes liking characters who really did not have a definite side. GRRM does this by playing with the human emotion and reactions; Davey does it by playing with the definitions of good and evil. IE: "If something that is perceived as good does things that are horribly bad, is it still good?"

Will i be buying his next novel?
-Yes.

Rating:
3.5-4 Stars. -> Its a good book, has room for improvement.

Feel free to reply with questions about the book or this review. I will try and answer them as well as i can.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Astounding debut March 15, 2012

By Geoffrey A. Stokker

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

If I had to try and summarize the novel in a few words, I'd have to say that it was as though George Martin and, Steven Erikson sat down for drinks in a bar one evening, stayed the weekend and by the end of it had put the plot for Blood of the Land together. The brutal realism of Martin's Song of Fire and Ice [A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One] is present in the novel right from the first chapter and its fatal accident. But also present are the gods and they're also there right from the start and they play an intricate part in all the events which unfold much like Shadowthrone and Cotillion in Erikson's Malazan series[Gardens of the Moon: Book One of The Malazan Book of the Fallen (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1)].

It is definitely a must read and can be the start of a great series and writing career. I'm looking forward to Blood of the Gods and any novels that follow.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful prose. Epic story. January 10, 2012

By R. Finegold

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Quick comment on opening chapters:
This is great reading. The quality of this author's writing is first tier: imagery that is rich and evocative, engaging all five senses; world-building that inspires awe; and story with fully realized characters whose trials are eminently human and engaging.
Davey is a wordsmith most authors strive (in vain) to equal.
Don't miss this.

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.