Customer Reviews

The First Mother's Fire (Soulstealer War)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

"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.

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!

I have been reading fantasy avidly for over 30 years and this book ranks among the best for its creativity and vivid imagery. Hoffman is a new writer in the genre but you wouldn't know it from reading the book. Its got a great twist in that the main character, Ken McNary, is a rugged survivalist with a legal background. His combination of physical strength and intellectual prowess were a welcome change from more typical fantasy protagonists. As for the alternate world that Ken travels into...it is awesome and the Boris Vallejo cover art does it justice. No fantasy would be complete without fierce battles and a sexy heroin and Hoffman didn't let the readers down on either of these fronts. I am eagerly awaiting Book Two of the Soulstealer War

Hoffman weaves an epic fantasy tale from the unusual eye of a practical survivalist who cannot resist contemplating the nature of existence and the possibility of true magic. Scientific theory and religious dogma are subtly invited to meet on common ground as the main character, Kenneth McNary, seeks to understand true magic. He is the reluctant wizard, dependent on magic to dispel the bleak preconceptions burdening mere humans in a mythic world, and yet struggling vainly to escape his doomed fate. Power comes with a price, a price that may always be too high for humanity in its current incarnation. Recommended.

I met this author at PhilCon 2008 and was initially intrigued by the Boris Vallejo art on the cover.

I was in the middle of reading A C Clarke's 'Rendezvous with Rama' series but a short conversation with Will Hoffman, the author, sparked my interest to peek through his novel that night - and I couldn't put it down. The plot gets better and better; the characters gain tremendous depth.

Weir, the world into which the main character stumbles, is a unique inverted mirror of Earth on many levels. And so it follows, the book may be read and enjoyed on several levels like any great work.

What a great first novel. Of course, authors can only publish so fast, so I'll just have to await Part II... back to Arthur Clarke.

This is one of those rare books that I just couldn't put down nor only read once. The author takes time in the story to make you think, not just accept his ideas. Reading this book made me feel like I learned a little bit about science and philosophy. The story made me feel like an experience like Ken's is actually possible.

I've pretty much always considered other life in the universe. Sure, why couldn't there be life on other planets? But how about a world within our own? My first objection would be; where could this so-called world possibly fit? Why wouldn't we have discovered it? Well, Ken then thinks back to things he's learned in college (and often from his uncle) to explain.

One of the other things I liked about the story was the elder race's view toward humans. It's nice to see the good and bad about us from a non-human perspective. Humans are not treated well or viewed favorably in this world Ken stumbles upon. However, Ken continually proves them wrong.

I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out (seriously, I'm getting tired of waiting here)!

This book truly deserves full marks. It is a stellar example of sci-fi/fantasy writing. The writing is clear with great imagery and natural flow. The setting & it's characters are extremely well developed, the action is fast paced and engaging, and the plot is truly compelling. Really, I devoured this book quickly, and was left hungering for sequels (i even contacted the author to cheer him on... you can google his website & blog).

Kenneth McNary just wanted a hike on an Appalachian Trail. Nice, peaceful hike, maybe find some inspiration as he did so. "The Soulstealer War: The First Mother's Fire" tells of when he doesn't find either of those and instead is thrust into another world and told by some sentience that he must unite the world's denizens for an upcoming war where there are major consequences for every life lost. Forced to deal with this strange new world and the need to learn to adapt quickly, Kenneth must do all he can to survive- and heeding that call may be the only way he can pull that off. "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.

The Soulstealers War written by William Hoffman was everything I had hoped for and more. As a woman who rarely reads fantasy, this book was a breath of fresh air. Once I started it was hard to put down, I was drawn into the world of magic and was left wanting more. As the story evolved I was excited to see in which direction the characters went, the only thing I can say is bring on Book 2. Thank you for writing such an amazing story.