Customer Reviews

The Awakened: Book One

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I really like fiction/fantasy books like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Ranger's Apprentice, etc..., and I'm very loyal. The problem I've had in the past was there are too many copied fantasy series too similar to already established series (i.e. coming-of-age boy just finding out he's a wizard, or adventurers with a dwarf and elf, and all these books about vampire or werewolf sex - thanks to the Twilight series I suspect, etc...)

It takes me a while to warm up to a new book, so once I find a series, I stick with it. I downloaded this book to my kindle because it was free - I figured I had nothing to lose, and I'm happy I did. The Awakened is a very well written original story that kept me guessing throughout the entire book. I didn't know who the main protagonist was until I was well into the book, and just when I thought I was jaded to any plot-twist, the twist at the end - it made perfect sense! How could I have missed it!

I don't want to give away the story, all I'm saying is that if you like action packed fiction/ fantasy with a little political intrigue/conspiracy, then you will really like this book.

I received The Awakened, Book One, free from Amazon for my Kindle. Thank You. I have not been able to put this book down - the story is new and fresh and exciting. I just purchased Books Two and Three and cannot wait for even more to be written. This author is new and I am very excited about his writing. It seems that so many of my favorite authors have sold out to Hollywood and their writings are never as good any more. It is wonderful to have a new author to read and follow. Keep up the GREAT work!!!!! I love your imagination.

So I bought this book unsure of what to expect. I read the book description, thought, OK, not what I usually look for in a book, but I'll try it. Read the reviews (mostly 5 stars) and decided that maybe it's better than I was already starting to think.

I painstakingly managed to get all the way through the book, and am still struggling to figure out why it got such great reviews...

WRITING: The author's writing style isn't really all that great, it's not very engaging, I found that the huge amount of detail is just uninteresting and unnecessary, and that his use of vocabulary is simple and sometimes repetitive (maybe it's just me, but i don't like reading the same word 4 times within 3 sentences).

CHARACTERS: The characters in the story aren't interesting and they all act in a similar predictable manner. They don't set anything into motion and their individual personalities aren't well defined. Basically, they all just sit around and wait for the un-cataclysmic events in this book to happen.

PLOT: The plot of this book was downright boring...I kept waiting for something to happen that would throw everything off balance and create that "and the plot thickens..." moment, but it simply never happened. Mostly, I felt as if i were constantly reading about the character waking up, doing something like eating breakfast or rolling over, and thinking about something uninteresting, and then ghosting through the rest of his/her day. The most interesting pages were probably the last two, when something mildly suspenseful actually happened, and just when the book started to engage me for the first time, it abruptly ended.

In short, this book really was just one big, long, boring intro to the rest of the series. I wouldn't recommend it, and based on the quality of this first book, I probably won't read the 2nd and 3rd installments.

The first book is pretty good, but it leaves you hanging so that you will want to read the other two, and the second is okay, but the third is pitiful. Too many things were left undone, too much was contrived, and the story eventually just rushed from battle to battle. I had a very hard time getting through the third book, and by the time I was done, I wished I hadn't bothered.

A fantasy readers delight. So the book takes a little while to get going, and doesn't really get into it's stride until book 2. This first book is a little bit confusing, and gets a little long into detail, but as long as you keep track of the different character's it starts to come together in book 2. I'm a quarter of the way into book 3 and it is well worth it, and the price is a steal. I've read absolute garbage that cost $10 a book and this series is worth all of that and more. I'll wait till I finish the third book to publish my spoilers there. I would definitely recommend this book, it has depth, the characters are fully fleshed out and suck you into the story, the plot twists and turns in ways that give you those wonderful "ah ha!" moments. Couldn't put it down!

I downloaded The Awakened to my kindle because I am trying to expand my horizons and read new authors. I was not disappointed. The awakened series is packed with rich characters, a great story line, and lots of action. I have devoured all three books and am left wanting more.

"The Awakened: Book One" is the first book in a fantasy adventure trilogy by Jason Tesar. This is a Kindle only e-edition and is a 929 Kb download. It was free at the time of this writing at the Amazon Kindle book store.

General theme *SPOILERS*

This story occurs in the Orudan Empire and follows the story of the Lorus family: Adair...husband, father and governor of the city of Bastul; Maeryn...Adair's wife: Kael...their son of about 8 years and finally Saba...Kael's tutor.
After Adair goes missing following some mysterious clues, the governorship is quickly awarded to a cruel man, Lemus, who forces himself on Maeryn and disposes (or so he thinks) of both Kael and Saba. Most of this first book details the hardships of Maeryn, Kael and Saga and their struggle to survive.

END *SPOILERS*

The Pros:
1.) this was a story with a good plot that grabbed your interest and kept you reading. Several twists and turns that opened up new avenues to provide depth and scope to the overall tale.

2.) simply written, in plain language; no need for a dictionary or thesaurus here.

3.) maps...several very good maps, each with an interactive link embedded into the text.

The Cons:
1.) while reading this book I began to notice that some areas seemed to be dragged out...i.e. Kael's training session with Ukiru. These extended areas of 'fill' accompanied by the 'plain language', made skimming of some sections almost a necessity.

2.) although not a Young Adult (YA) book, the tone of the writing had areas that had a definitive YA quality to it.

Conclusion:
I liked this first book. A good story, generally well told.
Would I read the follow-up books...yes.
3 1/2 Stars.

Ray Nicholson

I've found several interesting new reads on the Amazon Kindle store, and this book is no exception. I feel like the character development through this first novel is excellent. I plan to read the remainder of the series soon, and am looking forward to finding answers to some of the hanging plot lines. Definitely recommend giving this book a read!

This is a very good fantasy story set in an "ancient" fictional world linked to our present time (first chapter only). I found this e-book while looking for "Fallen Angels" stories. Yes, there is some indication that this is at the center of the story - that they descended and built this world and left. However, in this volume it builds the lives of the main characters and the world in which they live to include the link to the "mysterious" Others with a link to the "angels"

Be warned - It is NOT a stand-alone story. Be prepared to purchase the next volume if you like the story line. It really was a page turner and then Boom! It ended. There was a link to order volume 2 which I did right away to continue on reading. Smart marketing ploy to give you the first volume free and if you like the story you will pay (reasonable price) for the next volume.

If you like fantasy stories similar to "Lord of the Rings" etc., this is a very good book in this genre. It is rare to find one of high quality these days.

The Awakened, book one in a new series by Jason Tesar is a well written and developed story. By the time I got to the last part of the book, it was really hard to put down! The characters are presented so well that you really feel as though you know them pretty well, except for the ones that have a surprise or two for you! The story itself is intriguing, fresh and new. The only downside is that book one ended and I did not have book two yet. Pick it up and give it a read. You won't be disappointed.