Customer Reviews

Grayrider

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To describe Grayrider in one sentence: An old world mythical fantasy, with a nice dose of romance thrown in.
Honestly, I am not an experienced reader of this type of genre - or at least I have never taken the time to really read a story of this sort. Not for any particular reason, mind you, I have just never really done so. With that being said, I greatly enjoyed Grayrider. I was thrilled to be able to take part in Bruce Skye's virtual tour and am completely hooked! I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out.
Mr. Skye does a phenomenal job bringing his characters and their surrounding to life. The dialog aides the reader in the ability to fall into the story and seems to be very true to life for that time period.
I truly loved the character of Gabriel (aka Grayrider). He is a blend of strength, compassion, moral integrity and a force to be reckoned with. He begins the story with a heart filled with revenge, however it does not take long for that revenge to be turned into a sense of duty. After losing his beloved parents to murder, his main focus is to avenge their death. That is until he nearly faces his own death and realizes that he must take care to keep himself alive in order to overcome the main threat to the kingdom - the evil sorceress Morrigan. It is through this victory that Gabriel will not only save the kingdom, but avenge the death of those he has lost.
The long thought dead daughter of King Airell, Deirdre, appears in the beginning, bringing with her, a dire warning of impending danger. She and Gabriel quickly form a bond and the strength of her magical powers lend an irreplaceable defense against the many battles and attacks that take place. It is the greatness of this pure power and the strong developing love between Gabriel and the sorceress, Deirdre, that lead them both, along with the King's army, to fight for all that is good and overcome the evil powers of Morrigan.
Grayrider is excellently written, smooth and engrossing. The reader is easily transported back into a different time and place and quickly connected to the characters. Never is there a dull or lagging spot within the story. Readers will also be surprised with the twist that the ending takes. This is a story that hooks one from the first page until the very last. I greatly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great story - even if this is not your typical genre - I think you will be very happy that you took the time to delve into this old world mythical fantasy!

This first novel of the Deathsong Chronicles is a delightfully spun tale of fantasy and bloodshed without all the fluff that ruins a good fight.

If you're a fan of magic, murder and mayhem you'll love following the epic adventures of the Grayrider, an exiled king who must face the forces the enchantress Morrigan. For fans of Celtic history this won't be a new name, and she's just as nasty and sneaky as she is in the tales! Aided by Morrigan's own apprentice, Diedre, his mystical steed and a powerfully enchanted weapon known as Deathsong, Grayrider brings both victory and vengeance.

What I liked best about this book is Skye's ability to blend magic and romance with the inevitable bloodshed of battle without falling prey to the pithy spells and poetry that have ruined far too many a good fantasy novel. This series promises to be a bestseller.

Fans of sword-and-sorcery adventures and fantasy novels will enjoy this book. It is fast-paced with intricate story lines, and a depth familiar to students of Celtic lore and history.

Written in a style reminiscent of Tolkien's "The Two Towers," the reader is swept into the story from the first page. This is a tale with good and evil, but it also portrays the shades of gray between them.

What would you do if you had no army, but you had to face the ruthless black-armored warriors of Morrigan?

That's what our hero, Gabriel, faces in this powerful novel.

What would you do if you were the king's daughter, and realized that your own magic had innocently aided Morrigan in attacking your father's kingdom?

That's the challenge of Dierdre, who must overcome her own fears and inexperience, to undo the damage launched by her mentor, Morrigan.

If you like dark, complex tales with magic and sorcery aiding both good and evil, this book is a page-turner. Through most of the story, there are few glimmers of light. The hero and heroine are challenged at every turn. However, romance, chivalry and heroism shine clearly throughout this tale, and make it a satisfying read.

I look forward to additional novels in this series.

Bruce Skye has written a great first book in what promises to be an exciting fantasy series. If you like fantasy and/or King Arthur type legends, then Grayrider is for you! This story will keep you interested.

Prince Gabriel is the lone survivor of the royal family of Rivalin. The wicked sorceress Morrigan is responsible for the death of Gabriel's family and the loss of Rivalin. Seeking revenge, Gabriel travels far and wide fighting the Ansgarian forces with his mystical steed Windfire, and Deathsong, a battle sword as powerful and magical as the legendary Excalibur. Gabriel discovers Morrigan's Ansgarian army is marching on the neighboring kingdom of King Airell and leads Airell's forces to fight against Morrigan.

Skye has a talent for vivid descriptions that will make you feel like you are in the middle of the story. His great character development and strong story line make this a great read. I enjoyed it and look forward to more Deathsong Chronicles.

This is an entertaining fantasy, with a magic sword, battles, an evil sorceress, a princess... yet is not a cliche. The book jumps right into the action, intermingling action with thoughts and memories. Gabriel, known as Grayrider, is a king without a kingdom, and works to conquer the armies of Morrigan. He is aided by Princess Deidre, who was an apprentice to Morrigan but leaves her to save her father and his kingdom.

The battle happens between armies, and also between Grayrider and Morrigan's bespelled humans. To further complicate matters, Deidre falls in love with Grayrider, and he begins to see her in a different way as well, wondering if he could love her.

The back and forth between the battles and military strategy, and the personal realizations and changes, makes Grayrider and Deidre interesting characters. And I love Windfire the magic horse! I hope there are other books with this land and these characters, I would definitely read them.

Grayrider is a great book for people that really enjoy Fantasy books like Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. I like that this book combines war and love. There is a romance between Gabriel and Deirdre within Grayrider. Grayrider was a very good read with lots of twists to the story. I really look forward to another book from this series.

If you're looking for an engaging fantasy read, this is it. Long enough to weave a story of victory and romance, but short enough to keep a reader hooked on its plot twists, Grayrider is a winner.

Volume One of the Deathsong Chronicles follows the pursuits of the noble Gabriel and his love, beautiful Deirdre. As battles ensue and the throne of Rivalin becomes an option for Gabriel, I found myself pulled into his life and cheering him on. Grayrider and his enemies and friends aren't one-dimensional, as they often are in this genre. At the surprising end spelled out in the final pages of this book, it's easy to see that these likeable characters will unite to tell another great tale.

In short? This book has likeable characters and compelling action, For that reason, I heartily recommend it.

I am one of those nerds who rereads "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy at least 2-3 times per year. Therefore when a new fantasy series uses the term "Tolkienesque" in the description, I take it with a grain of salt. While many fantasy authors strive toward this goal few actually achieve it.

That having been said, I found "Grayrider" a very competent work of fiction. The characters are very likeable and the story grabs your attention right away. There are some wonderful and unexpected twists and the plot leaves you with the desire to know more. I enjoyed the battles with Morrigan the Sorceress. Many authors neglect to spend as much time developing their hero's nemesis. All in all, this is a very good read and I recommend it highly.

The two main characters, Gabriel and Deirdre are fully developed and very interesting. The conversational tone flows smoothly and the pace of the story is perfect. That, along with a sufficient amount of background information makes this a very extraordinary first book in this series. I found myself enjoying this story very much and I am looking forward to continuing the saga.

There is much to enjoy about the first book of the Deathsong Chronicles. The Chronicles references the name of the main character's sword. I found the Grayrider character had small gems of dialogue throughout the book. Overall this is a pleasant ride that offers a safe introduction to fantasy for an impressionable reader. The romance is kept light. The action and battles are frequent yet not vicious or graphic. There is enough trailing of possible future story lines (Where does the sword come from? What is Aine's place/role in the world?) that I'm interested in seeing how the chronicles and author continue to develop.