The Fall of Ossard (The Ossard Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]

Colin Taber (Author)

Book Description

What people are saying about The Fall of Ossard:

"I stayed up all night" - Sara Douglass

"A dark fantasy world that will suck you in" - The Newcastle Herald

"Brave... Innovative... Bold..." & "Recommended for readers of Robin Hobb, Sara Douglass & Fiona McIntosh" - Stefen Brazulaitis, reviewer and columnist, Australian Bookseller and Publisher Magazine

Ossard is falling...

Growing up in a city of Merchant Princes, Juvela discovers she can see what others can't. The very currents of the celestial are open to her, and that includes the truths they hide: An escalating series of unsolved kidnappings have been haunting the city-state, leaving its shadows pooled deep with innocent blood.

Has Juvela been cursed with the Witches' Kiss - or perhaps something worse?

Yet, more is to come, for not only has she witnessed an abduction, but she will have to endure a role in the victim's ritual death. For Juvela is about to become forsaken, and that's before she learns the real truth of not just the crimes plaguing Ossard's bloody streets, but the wider world: A world at war, and governed by gods whose highest pleasure is to sup on the taste of death.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Colin Taber lives in Australia, currently haunting the west coast city of Perth. He's done many things over the years, from working in banking, to retail, dish-pigging, publishing, landscape design, and even tree farming. All he really wants to do, though, is to get back to his oak grove and be left to write. Hopefully that day is coming.

Product Details

• File Size: 872 KB
• Print Length: 370 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1440475040
• Publisher: Thought Stream Creative Services (February 25, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0045OUDSQ
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,040 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely could not put it down July 25, 2010

By A. Boyd

Format:Paperback

I'll admit that I was first interested in this book by Facebook advertising. I'm a little embarrassed by that, but it got me. So be it. I read the first chapter and I was hooked.

Absolutely rich, very dark, story-driven, could-not-put-it-down because I HAD TO KNOW what happened next..... True, not the most rich character design or world building I've ever seen, but absolutely story-driven with an epic grandeur that I truly enjoyed. And the author did a magnificent job, if not with the original character design, but with the growth of the characters themselves, which a lot of authors fall flat with.

I'm reminded a lot of Robin Hobb (if the reviewer below will forgive me, but I see the comparisons), Sara Douglass or Carol Berg. Give it a shot, either way. My only complaint is that I hate cliffhangers, and I'm starting to get to the point, as a reader, where I'd rather wait for the series to be out in its entirety before dealing with the wait for the next bit of an incomplete story. ;)

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Awful. Don't belive the facebook ads January 10, 2011

By Reader

Format:Paperback

Like others I too received an ad advertising this book on facebook. After reading several reviews on Amazon, it seemed fresh and exciting, and I could not wait to try it. I have been severely disappointed.
Firstly, the reviews promised new and exciting ideas, or at least ideas that have not been severely trodden into the ground as most fantasy novels are prone to having. And at this, it does succeed.
Commendable traits in this book include the main character, who was suitably developed and a pleasant deviation from the common take. And thankfully, not from a rural setting. The magic system was intriguing, though not as confusing as others have suggested. I think it interesting the different types of applicable magic, though in action it is confusing.

However, despite these good features, there were some nasty affect that together, ruined the entire book.
Firstly, the writing. It takes leaps of consciousness, and can be repetitive.

(SPOILERS)

There was a particularly nasty repetitive part, that is practically a plot hole on page 236-237. The meeting of the half-blood has already been stated near the beginning of the book, and yet the main character acts as if this is the first time? There was an attempt to cover up that in the first draft this was the first meeting with the elves with a flimsy word fix near the middle, but did not do the trick adequately.
In addition to the receptiveness it leaps consciousness and seems unrealistic.

(SPOILERS)

This is hard to explain. In several instances I was confused as to why the main character, even though she is married to the ruler of the city's son, gets to go to several places. She is a suspect in several instances, why would the drag her along? Also she is a housewife, unused to seeing such actions. And in the end, even though later she does gain mystical powers, at those times, what help could she provide? Why bring her along to that effect? Also, I wondered how certain characters got their information. They seem to pull it out of thin air. Nobody ever comes or tells them anything they just know it. The main character achieves grand leaps of conclusions, and these are always right. Characters always when they speak seem to speak the truth of the world, as if the author is attempting to reveal his world by dialogue instead of just plain description. The story just does not flow with these leaps and bounds, and does not feel well thought out.
Speaking of the dialogue, to put it plainly it needs great improvement. Almost all of it feels like it is story bits, and none really are devoted to develop character. It feels unnatural. The inner dialogue the main character has with herself is alright, for the point of view, but with other characters it lacks tremendously. It is rarely ever (and I am sure someone will find some example in the book to prove me wrong if I say never) used to further character, only to further events. And I suppose this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is present in excess which is not desirable. The dialogue also lacks intelligence to this matter. It's too staccato, and imitative of real life which is not what you want in a book. It never achieves a writing rhythm.
On the subject of character development, characters flip-flop. Which would be an interesting perspective, if it was done correctly. And by correctly, I mean give reasons for it, not just have it happen. Slight foreshadowing should be used in this instance. Certain characters behave as if they woke up one morning, and decided that they were going to be the exact opposite of what they were or hinted to be (ie grandmother.) Other characters sound interesting at first, but are never (and I do use this here) developed enough to generate audience sympathy. Only the main character has any depth.

Oh, and the comments the main character makes to herself, in italics, need to be excluded. They are very melodramatic, which conflicts with the story.

(END SPOILERS)

In conclusion, this book is overly hyped. Do not expect to find a Robin Hobb novel here if you have been attracted by the ads. Instead, you will find a book with good, creative ideas, and a lacking writing skill to express them.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Fantasy!! September 8, 2011

By Denna Holm

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Fall of Ossard by Colin Taber turned out to be an interesting novel. If you are looking for a fast pace and lots of action then this is probably not the book for you. The action scenes we do read about are well written and exciting, but the biggest portion of the story is written around them. Colin Taber has a great imagination and for the most part he was able to bring this fantasy land and people into full 3D detail.

We first meet Juvela when she is still a young girl. There have been child abductions taking place in the area and her wealthy parents hire Sef, a one-time soldier, to protect her, a body guard. Juvela's grandmother was burned at the stake as a witch by the Inquisitor Anton and her parents fear a similar fate for her if they don't take immediate action to avoid it. I was a little taken aback by the actions of Pedro, Juvela's future husband and the father of her daughter. Without giving anything away, I never quite understood his role in what was done to her--beyond the obvious--nor her willingness to still marry him. There were a lot of questions raised about Pedro that I never did feel satisfied with the answers. Perhaps more about him will come in the sequel.

As evil takes a firmer grip in Ossard, Juvela's own powers begin to awaken. At first we are led to believe her dead grandmother is trying to help her, but this becomes questionable as Juvela's power continues to grow. One almost begins to feel her grandmother is using Juvela as a means to steal souls and build her power base in the Celestial. As Juvela's ability to look into the Celestial--the realm of gods, spirits, souls, and raw magic--becomes stronger, she gains in magical powers and is able to help keep her people alive when they are attacked. But she is not strong enough to stop the kidnapping of her husband, child and her in-laws. Will she be able to find those she loves and rescue them before they can be sacrificed in a battle for power?

After the kidnapping of Juvela's family the story begins to lag quite a bit. People are being drawn to her and we end up sitting through story after story as they tell Juvela what they've been through. A lot of it began to sound repetitious and I found myself starting to skim. Her body guard, Sef, turns out to be one of the most interesting characters in the novel. There is much more to him than first meets the eye and he is definitely going to be an important part of this story as they continue on this quest. I love the hook we are left with at the end of this first novel. Though I enjoyed this beginning a great deal, I have a feeling the next one is going to be where the real action starts, because it's not just the city of Ossard, Juvela and her family left hanging in the balance, it's the whole world. Juvela is becoming more powerful with every passing day, but will it end up making her as corrupt as the people she is trying to stop? I have no doubt I'll be back to pick up the middle part of this trilogy when it becomes available so I can find out.

More About the Author

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Colin Taber was born in Australia in 1970 and announced his intention to be a writer at the innocent age of 6. His father, an accountant, provided some cautious advice, suggesting that life might be easier if his son pursued a more predictable vocation.

Colin didn't listen.

Over the past twenty years Colin's had over a hundred magazine articles published, notably in Australian Realms Magazine. In 2009 his first novel, The Fall of Ossard, was released to open his coming of age dark fantasy series, The Ossard Trilogy. The second installment, Ossard's Hope, followed in 2011 and was supported by a national book signing tour. Currently Colin is working on the final book in that trilogy, Lae Ossard, and a new series that will see release in early 2013.

Colin has done many things over the years, from working in bookshops to event management, small press publishing, landscape design and even tree farming. All he really wants to do, though, is to get back to his oak grove and be left to write.

Thankfully, with an enthusiastic and growing readership, that day is coming.

He currently haunts the west coast city of Perth.



Get regular updates at his Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/Taberland