Forge of the Gods - The Last Knight [Paperback]

Eric Fogle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2007 | Series: Forge of the Gods

ETERNITY UNDONE... In the Eternal Heavens, the apocalypse is set in motion by a singular impossibility-time has stopped. The ensuing chaos threatens to unravel reality and causes an unthinkable side effect; the gods...are aging. Desperate for a solution, Heaven has sent four divine champions on a holy crusade: to seek out the threat to reality and destroy it. THE MORTAL PLANE... In the law-bound kingdom of Arsgoth, Areck, a young squire of the Bre'Dmorian Knighthood, develops abilities beyond the power of all known divinity. The repercussions of this supreme gift shake the foundation of all that is known and challenge his loyalties to god and the knighthood. THE LAST KNIGHT... As Areck's power manifests, the suspicious eyes of Heaven look down upon mankind and the Mortal Plane. The champions have been sent. Reality is coming undone. The apocalypse is about to commence-which only Areck can prevent...or begin.

Product Details

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: Breakneck Books (January 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978655141
• ISBN-13: 978-0978655143
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,589,462 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 Debut novel by a promising author, February 19, 2007

By 

Andrew Gray "Beezer Review" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forge of the Gods - The Last Knight (Paperback)

Forge of the Gods - The Last Night by Eric Fogle is the first novel in what I expect to be a very good fantasy series. Being a first time author, Mr. Fogle has no reputation to live up to, no standards to meet, yet that does not stop him from forging his way into the genre with nothing held back. He obviously has talent and a knack for writing a griping story. When reviewing first time authors, I sometimes want to compare them to other more established authors. However, that really isn't fair to the new author as it immediately creates a comparison instead of letting that work stand on its own.

The plot of this book has several elements and a couple sub-plots sprinkled in for good measure. The main arc of this novel follows the young Squire Areck through a maturation process as he gains more responsibility, as well as facing some very challenging circumstances. One of the sub--plots deals with an upheaval in Heaven and how a group of angels are not only trying to figure out the cause, and solution, to the problem. But they are also facing a problem of their own that could lead to dramatic change to life as they know it. The second sub-plot again involves the gods, this time searching out a mysterious cause to something they do not even understand. So, the gods send Champions to find what they do not know they are looking for. The two sub-plots are not given very many chapters to fully develop, but, at times less is more. That certainly applies here. Mr. Forgle tells us just enough to keep us interested in these sub-plots but not enough to where they take over the main focus of the story, that of Areck.

The characters in this book had some obvious planning behind them. Every character that's talked about has a part to play in the overall book. There is certainly a great deal of character development with Areck and what he goes through. The character of Lord Bowon has a tremendous amount of development at well. I can't go into details, because I don't want to spoil things for anyone. While there are certainly some good, solid characters in this novel - the real strength of the novel comes from the plots and the overall story arch. I don't mean that as the characters are bad in any way, it's just meant the story if the thing of greatest import and at times the story seems to pull the characters along with it.

I have a few minor criticisms about this novel. First off there are a few times where I would have liked to read more descriptions about people, setting etc. What I mean by that was there were a few times when I had a hard time visualizing what it was I was supposed to see. This doesn't detract a great deal from the overall enjoyment of the novel, just a small nuisance. The very beginning of the book seemed a little jumbled to me. Mr. Fogle tried to introduce a lot of characters and many settings all in the span of about thirty pages. I don't know if this was due to word count limits or other necessities, but it felted rushed and I had a hard time following everything.

With that said, I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. It set up future events very well. For a new author, Mr. Fogle has penned a tale that is yet unfolding. This first installment is a very good addition to the fantasy genre and one the serious fantasy fans will enjoy. If you are looking for large scale battles, magic users throwing spells, or hoards of monsters - this may not be the book for you. Yet, if you are looking for a well constructed story that has deep ties to religion and the workings of faith do not hesitate to pick this up. This is not your typical mass market fantasy. At times the reader is required to think, and that, is a good thing. I know I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable novel for a no-name author, July 19, 2007

By 

David Devaney "Fantasy Book Critic" (Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forge of the Gods - The Last Knight (Paperback)

Overall:

The quality of this novel, especially for a first time author, surpassed my expectations in all areas. The only major complaint I have regarding this story is that it ended on a cliff-hanger. Which is why I say, for those of you thinking of reading this tale...it desires a conclusion, which I'm sure will be present in future books, but for now, leaves you wondering. Saying that, the entirety of the book is well-paced and well-constructed, making logical transitions between people, places, and events. The strongest aspects of the novel, I thought, were the characters. Main characters are given good depth and supporting characters are given vibrant personae. While some of these supporting characters fall into tried-and-true clichés (i.e., the High Lightbringer's fanaticism and the Duke of Aresleigh's noble line), they are written well enough within their archetypes that they don't feel like rehashed versions of another author's characters.

Character Impression:

The main characters in this novel are written brilliantly, considering I have never even heard of this author before. In fact, the main character's personal development through the novel is nothing short of astonishing. In virtually all other fantasy I have read, which number in the low hundreds, the main character is nigh-inviolate - their views, even when contrasting with the situation, are stoic and unwavering. I know fantasy fans know of which I speak. :) These are type of characters that are able to "steamroll" everything in their path with a stubborn determination that ends up, through some quirk, working in their favor. Areck (The main character), on the other hand, constantly has his faith tested throughout the story. While he ends up in much the same place he began, it is clear that doubt has seeded itself into his thoughts by the end of the novel. This change is simultaneously refreshing and terribly interesting, since it gives rise to the whole theological background of the book. (I will get to this later.)

The "bad guys," too, are well-written and interesting. The author has given life to several new divine races...and at the same time brought a new refreshing outlook to angels, demons, dragons, and knights. Ok, back to our bad guys. The first of these are the ***SPOILER ALERt*** Olthari Thurm and the Dark God Illenthuul, who are both among the most interesting antagonists I have ever seen. Many novels, disregarding genre, utilize that same type of "lets make everyone suffer, rule the world, and enslave all humantiy" type of evil, leaving their characters predictable and boring. To be more precise the antagonists in this story, at least in my mind, are manipulators that will use whatever and whomever they can to accomplish his goals before destroying them utterly. Not to mention, the author will make you...err well at least 'me', actually feel for his villians. This sort of character, whose ambitions can often seem good to those around him, comes across to me as far more engaging than the straight-forward "kill them all" evil of generic villains.

Stylistic Impressions:

The novel was, mostly, well written. What I mean by this is that the editor / proof reader of the publisher must not be a paid position, as there are several errors remaining to be corrected. In truth though, most of the errors are of a ridiculous sort, such as, "theOlthari" and "the offficer went...". /shrugs

On to other stylistic effects. I know how difficult it is to write believable dialogue for characters whom all think and act differently, yet the author did mostly a terrific job in The Last Knight. The only complaint I have regarding the dialogue of this particular book is the sparse inclusion of some modern phrasing (i.e., the word "okay," which I simply don't view as something to use in what is effectively a medieval situation). Apart from a few such inclusions, the dialogue informed, at points was funny, and yet still managed to "pop."

Further, I enjoyed the methods this author uses to switch between locations, characters, and times within the story. Many authors I have read simply begin a new chapter when it's time to switch perspectives or such, but in The Last Knight, some of the POV switching actuallt occurs within each chapter. Though it is hard to unlearn the old fantasy methods, I found this style choice to be very easy to read, and helped serve to break up long stretches of story (mostly information), keeping the book fresh throughout.

The final stylistic gem in this story, which is both very unsual and very unique, was the inclusion of a snapshot segment dedicated to a Champion of Heaven. During these snapshots, which occur at the start of each Part, the author takes us through time via (no name being used): an olthari, a dragon, a knight, a murderer, and an angel, giving us their stories which all intertwine with the Main Character. When all the players were introduced, I immediately desired to read onward, simply to see how such wholly different characters could possibly be woven together into a cohesive tale. This tactic is beautifully used throughout the novel to maintain the reader's immersion without losing sight of any of the story's numerous threads. Needless to say, each of these snapshots are interesting and help retwist the longer stretches about the Protagonist.

Story Impressions:

This is very hard to say, but this novel details one of the better modern epic fantasy tales I have ever read. It's so vast...and so philosphical / spiritual, that it makes you wonder how the author thought it all up. Too many authors these days seem to be caught in an up-and-down good-versus-evil bent, and thus produce stories that are much the same as what has already been written. The unconventional choice of characters allows Mr. Fogle's story to take many unexpected turns, thus keeping the story lively. The opening descriptions of Heaven and Eternity are among the most compelling passages I have read in recent memory. After that, the story flows logically from one point to another, making good transitions through the various phases of the Main Character's experience.

Final Considerations:

This book is phenomenal, in that it is a first time author who wrote it. I vastly enjoyed it, and would absolutely recommend it to any lover of epic fantasy. The minor complaints I had with certain portions of the book are truly minor issues, including some typos that the publisher missed.

Overall, as a 1-5 rating, I would give this book a 4.5, and the only reasons it's not a 5 are the minor imperfections I described above. I cannot wait to see the continuation and eventual conclusion of this story in all its excellence!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy, June 23, 2008

By 

M. Rabing (West Linn, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forge of the Gods - The Last Knight (Paperback)

This book started out in a way that I had high hopes for a somewhat intellectual fantasy. But, I felt, it sort of deteriated into a inmature outlook on God. I'm not a writer, but halfway through the book the author seemed to sink into a fantasy written for a teenage audience. I hope the author keeps writing because you can see that he has potential. Although I don't agree with he's seeming outlook on God it started out very interestingly.