The Shadowbearer (Aegis of The Gods) [Kindle Edition]

Terry C. Simpson (Author)

Book Description

In a world where magic corrupts and kingdoms constantly war, the power that drives the world stirs. It whispers promises of greatness in the heads of the men and women that wield it. Now, it has spoken to the mind of a king.
Knight Commander Stefan Dorn, leader of the Unvanquished, has known only war, death and, victory. All in the name of his loyalty to King Nerian the Lightbearer, a man he idolized.
Until now.
Everything he thought he knew about the King, his people, and his world is coming to an end. At a time when there should be peace, he's once again called to war.
Torn between shocking changes at home, his family, loyalty to his men and his King, Stefan wishes only to enjoy life away from the battlefield. But with the new campaign comes a rabid, unforgiving enemy and a potential cataclysm.
Follow him as he fights to save his family, his people, his honor, and his birthright from the grips of the shade. Can he save them all? If not, which will he choose, which will he lose?
The Shadowbearer is a rousing and engaging prequel to Etchings of Power and a worthy addition to the Aegis of the Gods series.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Shadowbearer is just as full of epic battles, evil nemesis, and twisted plottings that were in Etchings of Power. I should also mention that the 'magic' system used in the books is well-thought out and very unique. This is a series I'll enjoy keeping up with. Jackie M. mytowerofbooks.blogspot.com/

Terry Simpson has written a high paced fantasy with all the twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. His story is brilliantly brought to life with vivid descriptions of a world where people have supernatural abilities and use those abilities in thrilling battle scenes. Ann

This puts hero back int heroic fantasy. Stefan Dorn's struggles between his vow and what is right make for a very entertaining read. It also gives a lot of insight into Mr. Simpson's world. Very enjoyable and hard to put down. Gerald Black, Author of Sentient Sword

From the Author

The Shadowbearer brings to life the events, history, and some motivations behind much of the world in Aegis of the Gods. It was something I endeavored to write to give my reader an insight into the mind of one of the heroes in Etchings of Power who did not have a story arc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 989 KB
• Print Length: 304 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Golden Arm Press; 2 edition (April 11, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007TLRD8A
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,092 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of battles and great characters! Great Fantasy Novel! May 12, 2012

By Jackie M.

Format:Kindle Edition

The Shadowbearer is a prequel to Terry C. Simpson's Etchings of Power (Aegis of The Gods #1) (My review HERE). As far as prequels go, I thought this one made a strong showing. Perfect for those just beginning in this rich, well-thought out world, and fans of the first book will get some extra insight into how the world became what it was in Etchings of Power.

Stefan Dorn is the one we follow in this installment. He's a battle-hardened warrior and immensely loyal to his family and King. His army of The Unvanquished have fought for decades. After what should be this army's last battle, Stefan wants peace for himself and his men. They have more than earned it. After years away from home things aren't what he expects upon his return.

Stefan is a steadfast, strong character. He makes the right decision regardless of what the cost may be. His only weakness comes in the form of his family. He loves them with a passion and would do anything for them. King Nerian has been an important person in Stefan's life for years and a personal hero to Stefan. I have to say that Nerian doesn't hold up well under the pressure of power he has gained. He makes a wonderful villain!

The Shadowbearer is just as full of epic battles, evil nemesis, and twisted plottings that were in Etchings of Power. I should also mention that the 'magic' system used in the books is well-thought out and very unique. This is a series I'll enjoy keeping up with :)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Good Fantasy July 12, 2012

By Sentient sword

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This puts hero back int heroic fantasy. Stefan Dorn's struggles between his vow and what is right make for a very entertaining read. It also gives a lot of insight into Mr. Simpson's world. Very enjoyable and hard to put down.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Shadowbearer June 7, 2012

By S Browning

Format:Kindle Edition

The Shadowbearer: Prequel (The Aegis of Gods)

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Knight Commander Stefan Dorn, leader of the Unvanquished, has known only war, death and, victory. All in the name of his loyalty to King Nerian the Lightbearer, a man he idolized. Until now.

Everything he thought he knew about the King, his people, and his world is coming to an end. At a time when there should be peace, he's once again called to war.

Torn between shocking changes at home, his family, loyalty to his men and his King, Stefan wishes only to enjoy life away from the battlefield. But with the new campaign comes a rabid, unforgiving enemy and a potential cataclysm.
Follow him as he fights to save his family, his people, his honor, and his birthright from the grips of the shade. Can he save them all? If not, which will he choose, which will he lose?

The Shadowbearer is a rousing and engaging prequel to Etchings of Power and a worthy addition to the Aegis of the Gods series.

The Shadowbearer is the second book in the Aegis of Gods Series by T. C. Simpson. The book centres on Stefan Dorn, a Knight Commander in the Seti and Leader of the army.

Having read Etchings of Power and knowing T. C. Simpsons work my standards were set pretty high. I am very pleased to say those standards were met and pushed even further.

The book opens straight into the action, with our Protagonist, Stefan, at a battle to conquer opposing nations to bring them into the Setian Empire. After the battle we learn that Stefan is also known as Stefan the Steadfast and that he commands an army known as The Unvanquished.

We also see his more human side that wants his soldiers, who have fought and bled for him and their King, Nerian, to have peace and be allowed to go home and settle down, have families and peaceful lives.

One thing that is done particularly well within this book are the battles and fight scene's, T. C. has found a balance between describing and actively engaging in a big scale battle or smaller fight and also at times just highlighting key moments or bypassing the events and addressing them after the fact. Which give the story a very smooth flow and doesn't bog it down with too much description, which is an easy mistake to make.

The story takes twists and turns where characters have unexpected changes and become the villains or become heroes that you support. We see a few familiar characters from Etchings of Power that are in a very unfamiliar role.

Even though the Shadowbearer is the second book in the Aegis of The Gods, it does not require you to have read Etchings of Power. You could comfortably read this story first and then go onto Etchings as it fulfils the role of prequel perfectly.

As with Etchings, T. C. makes it very difficult to review a story without giving away too much. So I will summarise that, this book is absolutely fantastic, it meets the standards of its predecessor and pushes the bar higher. My only complaint about The Shadowbearer is that it was not long enough, as you want the story to continue and allow you to stay immersed in the incredible world that is Denestia.

More About the Author

Talking to the characters I imagine has become an intriguing experience especially when they disagree with me. - Terry Simpson.

Terry grew up on the tiny Caribbean island of Barbados. He always had a love of writing for as long as he can remember.

Somehow, he grew to love fantasy more than any other although his early days were spent reading his father's books from Louis L'amour's westerns to Don Pendleton's Executioner series.

When Terry moved to New York in 1986 to live with his mother, his love for books developed into him reading and loving fantasy authors such as Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, Terry Goodkind , Brandon Sanderson, George RR Martin, Brian Lumley, Laura K Hamilton and quite a few others.

Terry began building the world for what is now called the Aegis of the Gods series in 2001. At first, it was just a hobby because of his love for fantasy and the written word. Slowly, it became a part of his life. Finally, in 2010, Terry decided to sit down and pen the first book based in his world.

When he isn't writing, Terry enjoys reading, movies, gaming (especially MMORPGS), working out, watching sports, and playing with his beautiful daughter Kai.