New worlds don’t appear. They are born from the labor of those who envision them.Count Witon has grown weary of the constant war between the races. Together with his wife Belamay, and Persky – first of a rare Human / Elf breed – Witon plans to create a new society: a utopia for anyone who longs for peaceful coexistence.They recruit pilgrims from every city and species; most to success, some to … most to success, some to failure. Together, they set off to a small, yet promising island, found by chance in the middle of the churning ocean.
But the journey there is fraught with challenges, and none of them is as dire as the one they face once they reach their destination. Will they have the strength and determination to give Birth to this New Time?
Once, Upon A New Time is a medieval fantasy with a double-edged sword: one of blood, the other of lust.
more
Birth is a strange little tale about hope for a better future filled with peace and prosperity and faith in one man’s vision to escape a world of constant conflict and bring a diverse mix of beings together to live in harmony.
Birth is similar to many Utopian stories throughout the ages. How wonderful it would be to create and live in a society where everyone is equal, respected, and appreciated, despite their differences! What is unique about Birth is that it almost feels like a fairy tale, filled with humans, centaurs, dwarfs, trolls, brownies, and faeries, all working together to build a life that has no room for hate, prejudice, or malice.
But this adult fantasy isn’t for children, even if it does have a dream-like quality to it. While the small portion of violence can be gruesome, and the sexual encounters between Witon and Belamay are somewhat explicit in the beginning, they don’t dominate the story overly much.
The overall tone of Birth is one of peace and hope. Can this group of mixed species band together and actually create such an ideal society that is not based on greed and war? History tells us not really, but Birth might just hold the secret to a successful Utopia. After all, an abundance of magic fills the air, and the island itself is almost too good to be true in its offerings of food and other rather odd resources.
One thing that leads me to believe that this society might be doomed to failure (I hope not) is that the inhabitants of this lovely island are intent on repeating the practices of building separate villages (albeit based on their unique needs), erecting a wall to keep out predators, anointing a King to rule over them all, and populating an island that may one day become too small. But perhaps not. Did I mention all the magic and the quest for peace and goodwill? We will have to wait for the next book to find out if this group can thrive where so many other Utopian societies have failed.
This is the first in a series that is an epic fantasy adventure. It’s got all the familiar parts – the gathering of all different races to form a team to take a journey, the crossing of worlds, an ethereal voice prompting the whole situation… all the things you would want to see in this kind of story!
All the characters were unique and well-drawn, and they are realistic in that they don’t always agree or get along, but can still be friends or at least cordial to one another. There’s the couple with the great love, the fool, all of our favorite types are represented. There’s action, and violence, and no punches are pulled in the telling of this tale!
If this kind of things is for you, this is well worth the read!
Witon is willing to do what is necessary. He’s unique in his beliefs. Belamay isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She loves a man with honor. Our author is very good in showing the reader how much they care for each other.
This is a story that combines the medieval feeling with fantasy. There is a thin line in what we believe to be true and those that we grew up reading but told they are just part of fairy tales. Part of the medieval is easy to see when you’re reading their conversations. This is a great way for your imagination to run free. It’s a story of possibilities. And it acts as a reminder that during certain times, in history, there was more action and less talk. But what I loved was that our author shows us that people can be different and yet be friends.
That’s not all there is to this story. Emotions play a big part here – especially for Witon. There is violence – may have you thinking back to our own history. If you’re squeamish at all you may have to decide if you’re going to eat and read at the same time. We have titles to each of the chapters that may help you when you’re deciding where you need to stop. Since this is the first book of a series the author is doing a lot of world building that will set us up for any books that follow.
It was a great way to get introduced to a new author for me. What a nice change from my favorite genre, romance. It was a nice reminder of what I loved about the Star Trek series. And as Buzz Lightyear would say, “to infinity and beyond”. I’m looking forward to see where this adventure is going to take me.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.