In Wilder Lands (The Fall of Eldvar) [Kindle Edition]

Jim Galford (Author), Chris Galford (Editor), Darryl Taylor (Illustrator)

Book Description

(Book One)
The wilding Estin just wanted to be left alone, find shelter and food, and live to a nice old age. With war escalating around him, these may be beyond his reach. Instead, survival becomes his only goal as he flees civilization to pursue the chance at a better life by following a fox wildling into the mountains, far from the war's conflicts.

The war might still be raging elsewhere, but Estin will find the mountains are far from safe. Estin must decide what he is willing to do and become, as well as who to trust if he is to survive, no matter where he lives.

Product Details

• File Size: 772 KB
• Print Length: 456 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005GM2I9I
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #378,578 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A truely epic fantasy November 25, 2011

By TKristufek

Format:Paperback

"Tell me I am not a slave, but put a leash on me and I will call you a liar."

Estin just wants be left alone, in a world where his kind are hated and thought of as slaves. Haunted by memories of his mother's capture and his father's beating, Estin struggles to survive and keep from being captured.

Until the day he meets Feanne.

Estin finds himself doing things he never imagined his kind of wildling to do: fighting and protecting rather than running and hiding. Feanne touches Estin like no other, and he breaks through her hardened heart, showing her that there is more to life than fighting.

While the war rages around them, Estin and Feanne, along with the rest of the wildlings, face difficult challenges of their own. Estin's relationship with Feanne changes vastly throughout the book, though his drive to protect her and her kits only grows stronger. Estin puts himself into several heartbreaking situations, breaking himself nearly to the limit, and somehow overcomes these challenges and becomes who he's never known he wanted to be.

There is no lack of humor, love, or confrontation; they are all blended into the story effortlessly to create a very real picture of who these characters are and what they struggle with. While the story is very character-driven, the attention to details within the world itself are not forgotten, giving the reader a vivid look at the world of Eldvar.

Galford's writing is beautiful. His descriptions of the characters, the surroundings, the internal struggles, and the world itself are magical, transporting the reader into the story to walk beside these characters. Anyone looking for an epic fantasy should not pass this book by.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent addition to the fantasy genre! September 10, 2011

By Mac McCammon

Format:Kindle Edition

New author Jim Galford shows excellent world-building skills in this novel about ostracism and community in a world on the brink of destruction. Estin is an improbable hero, an animal person living in a city where his kind are considered second-class citizens. When his life takes a sudden turn, Estin begins a journey that will show him what is important for a quality life, and how to survive in a constantly changing environment.

This book introduces the reader to the world of Eldvar in a rapid-fire, but in-depth manner, teaching the reader the rules and reasons for the environment without lecturing, and Galford takes care not to succumb to the cookie-cutter fantasy mold that many contemporary fantasy novels fall into. While Estin grows and develops, gaining new abilities as he learns from various teachers, the author avoids many standard cliches, keeping the story fresh and exciting throughout the duration of the plot.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in experiencing a classic fantasy-thriller with enough twists to keep even the jaded reader entertained for the entire ride.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great characterization, and I want more! September 28, 2011

By Trace Moriarty

Format:Kindle Edition

I love the characterization in this book! Galford paints believable, interesting characters who are caught up in events much larger than their immediate understanding. Eldvar is a land in turmoil where a war between city-states has lasted an unstated period of time beyond the current generation. A third party is about to enter play, and raise the stakes to levels previously unimagined. Galford manages to keep the focus on the characters and their own personal stories, while at the same time keeping the reader on the edge of my seat with tantalizing snippets of news of the war and the change in the world as it encroaches toward the main characters. The characters don't realize how much the landscape around them is changing, and even if I know that as a reader as I "see" it happen, Galford still manages to keep the change fresh, surprising, and suspenseful.

If I have any complaint with this book, it is that it could easily have been much longer! As it is, the text tops 400 pages, but even as an impatient reader, I was never bored. I'm a slow reader, and I devoured this text hungrily, eager to learn what happens next. There was not a single character I disliked as a reader. On the contrary, even many of the "bit" characters were interesting, and I wish my reader's eye could have followed them in their individual exploits. (The vulgar, wise-cracking dwarf Finth cracks me up every time he opens his mouth! Lihuan and Asrahn are two others interesting enough that I could have happily followed them as main characters on their own.) I hope we'll see more about Eldvar, and perhaps some of these characters in particular.

Pick up this book if you like strong characterization in fantasy literature. In particular, I think roleplayers and gamers will enjoy the adventure, and interplay of magic and melee in the story.

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