Lying on the cold steel surface of the air ship, barely able to move, Ashton focuses on a strange figure looking down at him as he coughs.“Who are you?” Ashton asks the strange figure.“Who are we?” responds the man looking down at him. “My name is Lesant. To answer your real question, think of us as the light in the darkness, the calm in the storm. To some, we are known as ‘the Chosen.’ To … Chosen.’ To others, we are a means to an end. Talk about déjà vu. This brings back memories of a long-forgotten past. Where do I begin?”
Alissa taps Lesant on the shoulder. “Ahem, really? The beginning? There isn’t time for this. We must get a move on. There’s nothing more we can do here.”
Lesant carefully lifts Ashton as he fixes his gaze upon Alissa. “No, we have to tell them. They all deserve to know what they stand to lose and why we must do whatever it takes to ensure their survival. Ashton, what you are about to hear may be hard to believe, but you must know the truth. It all began a very long time ago . . .”
***
Everyone has a beginning, a defining moment where they either give into despair or become who they are destined to be. Discover Adaban, and journey into a new world. Suspend what you think you know and dare to believe something new.
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A simplistic yet wonderfully intricate debut!
Children of Adaban is the first book of R. L. Myles’ Legacy series. It is divided into three parts, with each separate section focusing on its own main character and their journey as they attempt to save those they love.
The first part is about Lesant, a young man training to become a warrior of his clan. Lesant’s world comes to an end as his village is lost due to a natural disaster, and he wakes up in a foreign land. There, he tries to find his way home, but is faced with the problem that no one has ever heard of his homeland. This storyline – like the rest – is fast-paced and holds plenty of action, but it also features many moments to stop and reflect, with great little quotes such as this:
“We are all measured by our actions and not by comparison to each other.”
In the next part, we follow Kira, a young woman cursed to a life alone, away from the rest of her village, as her powers pose a significant threat to their existence. In fact, she is meant to be their leader, but she has never even been told of her heritage due to her abilities. But when their village one day faces an outside threat, she is forced to take a stand. However, more to her past is revealed, and not everything is as it seems. I loved the suspense as this played out, and Kira’s struggles were heartfelt. Also, I’m a sucker for animal companions, so… 🙂
In the third act, we get to meet Sanai; a Seer kept captive by a terrible Lord who plans to one day rule over all the lands. One day, she meets a strange man – seemingly by chance – and her fate is sealed. She doesn’t know it yet, but she will have a hand in something greater than she could have imagined. I won’t divulge more due to spoilers, but needless to say, the finale was something above the rest in this book.
Children of Adaban is written in a unique, uncluttered style that makes for a fast-paced read. Some may call it sparse in detail, but I feel that might be a personal preference. The world-building is fantastic, and the characters are wonderfully fleshed-out. I loved the fact that this isn’t a “chosen one” scenario, but a matter of many people blessed by the gifts of their God – Adaban – and that they are now slowly being Awakened and their powers activated.
I suspect Lesant, Kira, and Sanai will one day meet, as some of them visited the same areas within the span of the book, and people of the land referred to them as unique. And indeed, they were, and I’m intrigued to see how this story unfolds. All in all, a great read!
Pros: I really like the fantastic world-building. The characters are interesting. There’s a lot of philosophy woven throughout.
Cons: It’s a bit rough, with grammatical errors in some places. The intentionally choppy, minimalist writing style feels like it would be better suited to a graphic novel than a traditional literary work.
On the whole, it’s a decent book with a lot of depth to offer. I look forward to seeing where the series goes and watching the world (and the author) continue to grow and develop.
The story and characters were captivating and the story telling is very unique, like watching a movie.