The First Mother's Fire (Soulstealer War) [Paperback]

W L Hoffman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Soulstealer War | Publication Date: December 1, 2007

Unemployed after graduation, Kenneth McNary seeks inspiration on the Appalachian Trail. He never suspected that it would find him first. Ken is transported to a fairytale world by a god-like sentience and is tasked with uniting the world's denizens for a coming war-a war with eternal consequences for every soul consumed by the Enemy. While grappling with metaphysics and the dangers of his strange surroundings, Ken learns that the few humans inhabiting the realm are meek slaves to near-immortal beings who have lost their magic. Complicating this situation is a mysterious new race of magic wielders and the reappearance of subterranean, flesh-eating creatures long thought extinct. To survive the perils and embrace his destiny in a land hostile to humanity, Ken must discover the Fire within. But he faces two problems: he is a novice pitted against masters, and the magic may kill him before the masters do!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"_The Soulstealer War: The First Mother's Fire_ is highly recommended for community library fantasy collections and for fantasy lovers in general, who should hope for further installments of the series." -- Midwest Book Review "Midwest Book Review"

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing LLC (December 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598585398
• ISBN-13: 978-1598585391
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,212,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

W.L. Hoffman was born in the 1960's in Atlantic City. Hoffman's interest in reading fantasy and science fiction was voracious from an early age. He took advanced English curricula through high school, received his BA in English from Duke University and attended English literature classes at New College at Oxford University in England.

Following his introduction to legislative drafting while serving in the Duke University student government, Hoffman obtained his JD from Cornell Law School. While there, his dreams wandered into strange realms as he quested for life's higher meaning. Thus was born the foundation for The Soulstealer War. Ultimately, Hoffman left his law practice to pursue his writing career. He currently resides in central NJ with his wife and daughters. He enjoys spending time with his family in their organic vegetable garden, exploring the Sourland Mountains, and telling tales on the front porch to the next generation of dreamers and writers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable, March 30, 2008

By 

John Fitzpatrick (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The First Mother's Fire (Soulstealer War) (Paperback)

The author is a friend of mine from college, and I bought this book out of loyalty. I hadn't read any fantasy since high school, and I was quite sure my tastes had matured beyond swords and magic. Wrong. Reading this book was nothing like the chore I expected it to be. It was a lot of fun, and as I got towards the end I found myself staying up late because I couldn't stop reading.

To my friend Bill, congratulations and thanks.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy and Philosophy...A Potent Mix, February 16, 2008

By 

D. Richards - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The First Mother's Fire (Soulstealer War) (Paperback)

"The First Mother's Fire", Book One of the new fantasy series "The Soulstealer War" by W.L. Hoffman, is a novel that was difficult to put down and is now proving impossible to shake. Certain books crawl inside you and take up residence for varying times and am guessing that this one is in for an extended stay.

The novel is essentially a philosophy book that uses the genre of fantasy/sci-fi to present its queries, questions, thoughts and ideas. The protagonist, Ken McNary, provides the reader with an equal amount of ideas and theories as well as questions and queries. Thrust into an alternate but connected world, McNary struggles to make sense of his new environment while struggling with ancient questions regarding one's purpose, relation to the earth and environment, religion, and the origin, use and cost of true power.

What is truly amazing about "The First Mother's Fire" is that Hoffman is able to present such weighty subject matter via an epic fantasy storyline with plenty of action and pacing. The philosophical subject matter is given its due deference but does not weigh down the story or the adventure into which the reader is transported. Rather, the questions and thoughts of McNary are natural parts of the strange experience in which he finds himself.

Hoffman is clearly well-versed in the genre. One notes his respectful nod to the master Tolkien early in the novel with Ken's introduction to Hala echoing Frodo's introduction to Lembas. But Hoffman's book is far from a recycling of well-worn fantasy characters and plots as he takes the reader down refreshingly original and untrodden paths.

The release of Book Two in the "The Soulstealer War" will be a welcomed date for this reader.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great start to a Fantasy Series!, August 9, 2009

By 

Carl Lovre - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The First Mother's Fire (Soulstealer War) (Paperback)

First, please disregard the person that gave this book only one star. He only read two chapters. Seriously, how can you review or criticize something you know almost nothing about?
That said:
Awesome book! I actually read the whole book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's one of those books that you seem to rush through because you want to find out what is going to happen next. Then all of a sudden you're at the end wishing there was more. All the elements of great fantasy are present. Excellent characters, cool magic, great fighting and of course a totally evil villain. The plot has many threads that could lead down some interesting paths. I can't wait to see where he takes it.
The biggest downside is having to wait until the end of this year for Book 2 and Book 3 won't be ready for another two years after that. Mr. Hoffman needs to quit his day job so that he can spend more time writing. I'll have Book 2 on pre-order as soon as it becomes available.
I also want to comment on the quality of the workmanship of the book. It is excellent. It is printed by a company called Dog Ear Publishing. The book is slightly larger than a standard paperback. The cover by Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo is beautiful. It was one of the things that first drew my attention to this book. The cover is glossy and the spine did not crack as in a standard paperback.
Highly recommended!