The Dark Shore (Dominons of Irth, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Adam Lee (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dominons of Irth, Book 1 | Publication Date: March 1998

The first entry in an epic adventure trilogy from a distinctive new voice in fantasy fiction.

Once a city floated regally among the clouds. It is gone, its citizens slain, its few remaining children scattered by the winds. All that is good has been crushed. But there are those who survive and remember, those who still revere the magic that failed them all. The highborn and lowly -- a handful allied against the most terrible force ever massed -- dedicate themselves to the impossible salvation of their home, their Irth.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This debut novel of a planned trilogy is an auspicious beginning for Lee, who has an elegant way with descriptive passages. Seeking revenge on wizarduke Drev for defeating and humiliating him, Wrat returns from the Dark Shore with flesh-eating cacodemons?which are immune to magical Charm?to destroy the cities and subjugate the people of Irth. Drev must join the sorcerers, witches, and thieves to defeat Wrat. Recommended for fantasy collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

First entry, though complete in itself, of a fantasy trilogy from newcomer Lee. Upon the Bright Shore lie the dominions of Irth; above, the Abiding Star emanates magical Charm; below, in the Gulf, exist the cold, heavy, Charmless worlds of the Dark Shore. Irth's entire socioeconomic system, from wizardry to healing, depends on Charm. Once, the wizarduke of the ruling Council was challenged by the rebellious Bold Ones; their chief, Wrat, seized Drev's magic sword, slew Drev's sister, and attempted to conquer Irth. Drew cast them bodily into the Gulf. While upon the Dark Shore Wrat nursed his rage, acquired a black magic more powerful than Charm, and formed an unholy alliance with a gremlin. Now, seeking a frightful revenge, mad Wrat has returned to Irth as the Dark Lord, accompanied, courtesy of the gremlin, by hordes of dreadful cacodemons; these, being creatures of the Dark Shore, are invulnerable to Charm. So Drev hides in the desert while seeking his soulmate, the waif Tywi, whose protectors are the thief Dogbrick and his mysterious, capable companion, Ripcat. Two aristocratic children (few others have survived Wrat's onslaught), Jyoti and Poch, while trying to locate their aged weapons master, Caval, learn how to kill cacodemons without using Charm. Finally, Caval recollects his own sojourn on the Dark Shore, and his companion, the magus Reece, who returned with him to Irth--as Ripcat. An altogether remarkable debut: innovative, intricate, intriguing, and accomplished, its flaws minor and well under control. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 494 pages
• Publisher: Eos (Mm0 (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380796171
• ISBN-13: 978-0380796175
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,678,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A strange, distant, and compelling novel, August 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dark Shore (Dominons of Irth, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

The world of Irth hangs beneath the Abiding Star, source of all magic and gateway to the Beginning. From the Star comes Charm, the power to alter reality, to create great works, to avoid the Tides that steal the dead and unconcious. It is at the top of the universe, a place of wonders, and marvels.

It is also a place in danger. A cruel and evil man has returned from beyond the dark Gulf in which Irth hangs, seeking revenge against those who cast him there. He brings warriors from another world, immune to Charm, a petty man drunk on power, planning to conquer the world - and worse - with the power of a god.

Flying cities fall. Thevies conspire. A nobleman flees to find love. Young royalty seek vengeance. Those marked as man-beasts make alliances, and the Dark Lord plots while a mysterious sage contemplates why this is happening, and knows that it can be blamed on a tragic death so long ago . . .

This is, simply, an impressive novel. It has its own mytholog! y, own physics, own religion, own ecosystem. It could practacally be a documentary - from the economy of hex-gems to the sexual rituals of two religious groups, the detail is astounding.

Unfortunately, it is a rather distant novel. The emotional impact of various events and characters, except for the brilliantly detestable Dark Lord (who is shown to be every bit as petty as many Earth tyrants), produce little reaction. There is a lot going on, but I found it easier to hate the villains then like the heroes. It's easy to produce visceral disgust then like, admiration, relation, and so forth.

Still this is a novel worth reading, for the sheer breadth of imagination. Not perfect, but for a first entry in the field, utterly astounding.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Fantasy World, July 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dark Shore (Dominons of Irth, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Adam Lee's The Dark Shore is, in the end, a magnificent piece of epic fantasy. All of the various plots and characters come together to defeat the Dark Lord. It's another classic good vs. evil battle.

Minor quibbles: The book takes about 50-60 pages to fully get into. Lee's fantasy world is so rich and full that it takes nearly that long to understand the various terms and characters. To Lee's credit, he doesn't have an exposition chapter where he explains everything. The reader is left on his/her own to discover exactly what 'Charm' is.

In all, The Dark Shore is an excellent read, one that I found myself unable to put down.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a neat book - did you know it was by A.A. Attanasio?, March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dark Shore (The Dominions, Book 1) (Paperback)

I'm currently re-reading this book (it's really offbeat and fascinating). But I really want to recommend it to fans of A.A. Attanasio - since Adam Lee is his pen name (I figured this out by noticing the book's published in Britain under his real name).