Buying Options

Learn more

Read for Free

OR

Kindle Price: $2.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Enter a promotion code or Gift Card

Share <Embed>

The Trials of the Core: A Fantasy Adventure Novel (Guardian of the Core Book 1) by [Michael E. Thies]

Follow the Author

Michael E Thies

The Trials of the Core: A Fantasy Adventure Novel (Guardian of the Core Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Michael E. Thies (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

42 ratings

Book 1 of 2: Guardian of the Core

See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$2.99

—

Paperback

"Please retry"

$14.95

$5.99

Kindle
$0.00 Read with Kindle Unlimited to also enjoy access to over 1 million more titles $2.99 to buy
Paperback
$14.95

4 Used from $5.99 2 New from $14.95

Destiny calls to them all. Only one can seize it…

Prince Hydro Paen longs to escape his disdainful mother. So when the Guardian of the Core announces a contest to become his apprentice, the young man leaps at the invitation to participate. Determined to prove himself and uphold the family legacy, he swears not to fail.

Orphaned underdog Eirek Mourse doesn’t believe he’ll amount to much. So when his uncle encourages him to compete in the Guardian’s trials, he’s shocked to be granted acceptance. But without any skills in combat, he has no idea how he will survive.

Zain Berrese is a haunted man. Convinced he’s responsible for the death of his girlfriend, he longs to make amends by becoming the next Guardian. Hoping to outdo his adopted brother, he’s crushed when he accidentally kills his sibling just before the games begin.

With trials increasingly complex and dangerous, each young man must face his own fears as well as their crafty opponents. And with lives on the line, one of them will make an extraordinary choice…

Will one of these would-be heroes find the inner strength and wisdom to emerge a champion before they all perish?

The Trials of the Core is the first book in the gripping Guardian of the Core adventure fantasy series. If you like ensemble casts, imaginative worlds, and unpredictable twists, then you’ll love Michael E. Thies’s thrilling tale.

Buy The Trials of the Core to accept the challenge today!

Print length

413 pages
Language

English
Publication date

February 7, 2015
Reading age

17 - 18 years
Grade level

10 - 12
File size

6818 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

T.C. Edge
87
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Christopher Mitchell
921
Kindle Edition
$0.99
Jamie Schlosser
247
Kindle Edition
$3.99
D.K. Holmberg
252
Kindle Edition
$0.99
D.K. Holmberg
112
Kindle Edition
$0.99
Jon Cronshaw
590
Kindle Edition
$0.99

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

ML Spencer
326
Kindle Edition
in Arthurian Fantasy
$4.99
Michael Jason Brandt
88
Kindle Edition
$0.99
Matt Larkin
140
Kindle Edition
$0.99
Jeremy McLean
240
Kindle Edition
$0.99
Honor Raconteur
64
Kindle Edition
$4.99
Honor Raconteur
60
Kindle Edition
$4.99

Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a great adventure - a science fiction fantasy with almost everything but the kitchen sink thrown in: princes and planets, spells and spaceships, puzzles and plot twists. The trials take place in a boundless galaxy, where all the characters and locations are linked by a well-thought-out history and lore." - Rob May, author of Reckoning of Dragons

About the Author

Michael Thies graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in Creative Writing and Advertising. After a year in the marketing and sales field he realized that it wasn't his calling, so he went back to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for his second bachelor's degree, this time in English Education. Now, he is a wanderlust traveler and global English Educator. Shortly after receiving his English Education certificate and his TEFL certificate, he spent one year living in Santiago, Chile interacting with the people and the culture there. Currently he is living in China, on the other side of the world, still interacting with the locals, still adopting their culture, but more importantly, still writing. It is these experiences that fuel the imagination of his mind.

To follow Michael and his life in teaching and writing, or even if you just wanted updates on when future releases will be available, sign up for his monthly author newsletter here: eepurl.com/bahKu9

Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. I hope you have enjoyed the book. If you have, please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads. Even if it's only a line or two, I would really appreciate it and it would be a tremendous help.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

ASIN : B00TCXMABI
Publisher : Writer's Block Press; 2nd edition (February 7, 2015)
Publication date : February 7, 2015
Language : English
File size : 6818 KB
Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 413 pages
Lending : Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,175 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,672 in New Adult & College Fantasy (Books)
- #3,443 in New Adult & College Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #4,822 in Men's Adventure Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
42 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		58%
4 star		35%
3 star		7%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Jonah Erickson

Fast-Paced Fantasy with Excellent Characters

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

Trials of the Core is a true fantasy novel, and I found it packed with both exciting action and strong character development. It starts off quickly and continues along at a good clip for the majority of the book. The descriptions of combat and magic were not overblown or cheesy, in fact, they were simply well-described and adjusted for the pace and tone of the novel as a whole. Each of the three young protagonists exhibited clear strengths and weaknesses, which helped me enjoy following each of their journeys as separate individuals. Without giving anything away, one character is arrogant, another has a dark past, and the third is a smart and silent type. The interplay of these three characters and their central traits, as well as their relationship to Eska, the ruling guardian, made for an intriguing and often surprising plotline. I was kept engaged by both the immediate action, and the thought of how the action might affect the other aspiring apprentices. All in all, I would say that this was one of the better fantasy, almost sci-fi novels that I have read lately.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tara Malone

A gripping, highly imaginative fantasy novel

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

Edwyrd Eska, the current Guardian of the Core, is nearing the end of his two hundred year reign and must find an apprentice who will eventually be his successor. As Guardian, Eska must defend and govern his universe Gladonus, a task that is incredibly challenging and difficult.

A small select group of young men and one woman are invited to participate in a series of trials, and the winner will become Eska’s apprentice. The group includes arrogant Prince Hydro Paen, the deeply troubled Zain Berrese, and the timid but highly intelligent commoner, Eirek Mourse. There are other participants but the book mainly follows these three young men as they risk their lives to face an incredibly difficult series of tasks.

The book takes place in a fantasy universe, where spirits and mythical creatures roam, but technology also exists alongside power. I was engaged very quickly in the story and the trials that the characters went through, and in the end was thrilled that the person I was rooting for was chosen to be Eska’s apprentice. I can't wait for the next book!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Katy N

Excellent Characters and Teen Fiction

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

Guardian of the Core is about the "Guardian" who has held his job as protector for almost 200 years. Before the end of this 200th year, he must select an apprentice/replacement - and this is where the story gets interesting. Six contestants have been chosen to compete for the role of the Guardian's apprentice. Each must fight no only their inner demons but with each other as they prove that they are the best choice for this prestigious honor. Each of the 6 must past a few challenging tests in order to be considered. This book started out slow but after about a third of the way into it, It really picked up and held my interest. This was a good read and if you like Lord of the Rings or Hunger Games you will like this book.

Helpful

J Armstrong

Edward Eska is a guardian of the Core, and ...

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

Edward Eska is a guardian of the Core, and after nearly two hundred years of servitude and guardianship, he finally consents to hold interviews for an apprentice. Eight candidates are selected for the final trials and they come from all walks of life, from prince to the lowliest of commoners. The candidates undergo many hardships and must wrestle with their own doubts, insecurities, arrogance and pride before they will finally face the last challenge and possibly earn the coveted role of guardian’s apprentice.
This is the third edition of this book, revised in time for the release of the second book in the series. The author Michael Thies has built a grand world here, or rather four grand worlds and we are intimately introduced to one of them. There is some mystery here, along with puzzles and action, instances of courage as well as bravery. It took a little to get into this book as the first few chapters introduced all the candidates and therefore were rather slow compared to the rest of the book.

Helpful

Julius Z

This book was amazing, the guardian was my personal highlight and there ...

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2018

Verified Purchase

Every cycle has to end, every Guardian knows that and they also know that their knowledge has to pass to the next generation, and that my friends is the hard part.
This is an interesting universe, mystical creatures inhabits the Earth along with humans and other historical and mostly technological events, so the world has never felt this big, and yet the story is about a group of young people.
This book was amazing, the guardian was my personal highlight and there a lot of traits in its personality and it was refreshing to see a dynamic group like this in a completely unexpected situation, to the likes of ‘Hunger Games’ this was certainly way more exciting and compelling, I’m glad this is only the start of the series and I can’t wait for more, this is an adventure you will not want to miss, buy it and read it.

Helpful

Emerson Rose Craig

A compelling Epic Fantasy

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

The Trial of the Core is the first book in the series Guardian of the Core by author Michael Thies. This book is an epic fantasy tale that follows Edwyrd Eska. Eska is is the guardian of the Core and is in his 200 and last year with the position. Now he must find an apprentice and train them to fill his shoes. A group of contestants receive invitations to take part in the trials to see who shall have the honor of this position. This story is exciting and full of deceit, betrayal, sabotage, personal demons, rivalries, and partnerships. This story very quickly captured my attention with its thrilling story, interesting characters, and creative world that allowed my imagination to take flight. As is mentioned in the introduction to the book, author Thies has created a large and fantastical world with multiple planet and nations. This book definitely fits into the high epic fantasy genre and makes for a compelling and thrilling read. I am certainly going to continue reading this series.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

L. M. Wilson

Excellent First Novel

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

I was offered a free copy of this book by Story Cartel on the promise of leaving a review. I am very pleased to do so as this is an original and enjoyable first novel. Full of adventure, the book is good quality fantasy with the addition of some science fiction too. Written for young adults, the book will surely appeal to readers of all ages if they are lovers of these genres. It is quite a long story, full of magical wonders and many exciting twists and turns to intrigue and hook the reader. The story kept me guessing right until the end. It is very well written and the very different characters, (there are lots of them) each develop and grow in their own way as they are tested for their individual qualities. Highly recommended.

Angel Cross

Great Storyline

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is a well thought out story. There is a great mix of characters that pull you in and keep you curious as to what's going to happen next. Many times I can tell exactly how a story will end because the storyline is so predictable. Not so in this case. Mr. Thies has done a fantastic job of bringing his characters to life and keeping us wondering... What's going to happen next? Job well done!

Amazon Customer

The writing paints a very clear and exciting visual of the other planets/worlds that I would love to see in real life

Reviewed in Canada on September 28, 2016

Verified Purchase

I didn't know what to expect, but this book is very interesting and sets up a new fictional universe in a very interesting and intriguing way. The writing paints a very clear and exciting visual of the other planets/worlds that I would love to see in real life. Really enjoyed reading the build up and climax of the trials of the core and would want to read more!

One person found this helpful

See all reviews

Buying Options

OR

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

The Trials of the Core: A Fantasy Adventure Novel (Guardian of the Core Book 1) Kindle Edition

Customers who bought this item also bought

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

From the Back Cover

Product details

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries