Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I [Kindle Edition]

Tracy Falbe (Author)

Book Description

"He felt ill when he considered that he had helped to make the Empire bigger."

Thoughts such as these prod Dreibrand Veta to make a fateful decision when he reaches a mythic Wilderness.

He has killed for his country to get to this point. At the front lines of imperial expansion, he hoped to rebuild the fortune of his noble family, but he will have to go farther. In his daring travels he encounters the rys, a race far more powerful than the human empire that bred him. Dreibrand cannot defy the rys Queen Onja nor defend his companion, Miranda, and her children from the wicked tyrant Queen. Desperate for help, Dreibrand and Miranda join Shan, a rys with emerging powers who plans to challenge Onja. In Shan's pursuit of the rys throne, he exerts his magical powers, gathers his allies, and incites rebellion among Onja's human subjects. Great wealth and power will reward the kings, warriors, and spies that align themselves with the rys pretender, but defeat could mean worse than death. Onja can imprison souls and her genocidal rage is legendary. Everything is at risk for Shan's union of renegades.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a great read with plenty of intrigue, magic, terror, wizardry, spells, and subplots to grip the reader..." -- Crystal Reviews, January 2006

"Tracy Falbe makes a stunning debut in epic fantasy..."

"An exciting treat for fantasy buffs..." -- Small Press Bookwatch, February 2006

From the Back Cover

Dreibrand Veta has killed for his country. At the frontlines of imperial expansion, he seeks to rebuild the fortune of his noble family. In his daring travels he encounters the rys, a race far more powerful than the human empire that bred him. Dreibrand cannot defy the rys Queen Onja nor defend his companion, Miranda, and her children from the wicked tyrant Queen. Desperate for help, Dreibrand and Miranda join Shan, a rys with emerging powers who plans to challenge Onja. In Shan's pursuit of the rys throne, he exerts his magical powers, gathers his allies, and incites rebellion among Onja's human subjects. Great wealth and power will reward the kings, warriors, and spies that align themselves with the rys pretender, but defeat could mean worse than death. Onja can imprison souls and her genocidal rage is legendary. Everything is at risk for Shan's union of renegades.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 861 KB
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Falbe Publishing (June 9, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003UES7U8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,183 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining October 22, 2010

By Yankee Fan

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I only discovered this book when it was a free download and read it on a whim. I'm glad I did. I must say, that this book was a real location clicker (page turner for non-kindle users...lol). A dishonored warrior and an escaped slave team up with a powerful being from a magical race of "people" and do battle against the queen of the Rys. I just bought the 2nd book, so the publishers free intro book worked to get me hooked on the trilogy.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Just Kinda "There" April 16, 2011

By Volpot

Format:Kindle Edition

I really wanted to like this book as I was searching for a good fantasy/science fiction series to begin. As it happens, this isn't it for me.

Now this isn't a "bad" book. It has a lot of good qualities. The world is fairly interesting, if simple (humans in the east meet non-humans in the west who are ruled by their ancient and evil queen who has subjugated her own non-human people plus the human tribes on that side of the world). The story is fairly interesting, if a bit slow developing in places. The characters are well developed (but more on that).

What I didn't care for: The dialogue was a bit flat and uninspired (it didn't "feel" realistic).

The main problem I had with the book was initially hard to put my finger on. Eventually I realized what it was...everyone in the book is stupid. I don't mean the characters were described in a stupid way by the author. I mean, everyone in the book I am sure could not possibly have an IQ over 85 (OK, OK, one or two might have IQs of 100). Throughout the entire book, the major and minor characters repeatedly do dumb things, in dumb ways, for dumb reasons. When they aren't adding 2 and 2 and getting three as their decision-making process, they are simply reacting emotionally. Honestly, to this reader it increasingly became apparent that there was no one in the book with whom I could even begin to identify or empathize nor was there ever likely to be in any subsequent book.

I've heard of "dumbing-down" language, sentence structure, and even plots in order to appeal to certain audiences. In this book, while it may not have been intentional, I felt like the characters themselves were literally "dumbed-down".

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A review from [...] March 20, 2011

By Albert Robbins III

Format:Kindle Edition

Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I

This is a book that just makes you forget the world you are living in and grabs all your senses and refuses to let go until the last page. I was completely immersed into the world the author painted and my imagination was filled with the taste and sounds of this world. I did not ever want to stop reading it and was a little lost when I was finished. I can not wait to finish the series. This is a must have for everyone.

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