A hooded silhouette was outlined on an overhanging rock in the blue lunar light of Tinmal and Hamal. Motionless, the individual was tracking his every movement.Pelmen shivered. He looks more like a protodactyl ready to fall on its prey than anything else. Not wishing to find himself alone in the presence of the unnerving stranger for a moment longer than necessary, with no further thought to what … further thought to what Komel was doing, he hurried back to the relative safety of the hut.
A fantasy novel set in a prehistoric world
Pelmen hates being a tanner, but that’s all he would ever be, thanks to the rigid caste system amongst his people, the hevelens. Then he meets Master Galn Boisencroix and his family. The master carpenter opens up a world of archery to young Pelmen, who excels at his newfound skill. But Pelmen’s intractable father would have none of it, and tries to force Pelmen to stay in the tannery.
One day, however, Pelmen’s best friend and Master Galn’s son, Teleg, disappears. Lured away by the prospect of untold riches through mining amberrock, the most precious substance in the world, Teleg finds himself a prisoner of the Nylevs, fierce fire-wielding worshippers of the god of destruction.
Now Pelmen must leave all he knows behind, overcome his fears and travel across the land, in search of his childhood friend. Along the way, he will ally himself with strange and fantastic beings: a shaman who controls the Breath of Aoles, or the power of the wind, a krongos, a creature of the mineral realm who can become living rock, and a malian, adept at water magic.
The most complete version of the Ardalia universe
This ebook includes the trilogy three books, The Breath of Aoles, Turquoise Water and The Flames of the Immolated, along with A brief History of Ardalia, which will help you go deeper into the universe imagined by the author, a map of Ardalia, and a glossary. You will also find pronunciation suggestions for the peculiar words of Ardalia and the characters’ names.
What readers are saying
“Forget elves, dwarves, trolls and dragons. In Ardalia, you have all sorts of alien species that fit well into the ecosystem of a low-magic world, which is sort of elemental in its own way. The originality is excellent here.” —Awesome Indies
“I absolutely loved this book. It is phenomenal. The power of the author’s imagination and his use of language really make it a brilliant read. It’s complex but you get used to it and really start to enjoy it.” —Paige
“The story is great. Lots of adventure, action, some romance. The main character’s coming of age is great to follow. He is overcoming the arrogance of youth, and realizing other cultures often have much to offer.” —Mike
“This story was really good. It drew me in from the first few pages and was packed with adventure, excitement, and danger. The main character, Pelmen, is just an ordinary tanner at the bottom of the “totem pole”, wishing to escape for a better life at the start. But instead of escaping with his friend for a better life, he is thrown into a dangerous world where he has to learn to fight in order to survive.” —Dakota
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The Breath of Aoles (Ardalia #1)
I found this to be very difficult to get into at first as it seemed to jump from one thought to the next randomly. Once I wrapped my head round Alan’s style of writing it was much easier – indeed it became positively enthralling and will be to many age ranges from teens to adults. This could well grow in stature as a coming of age fantasy adventure that will consume the reader and spawn a whole new generation of fans that will breathe life into the territories and peoples that Alan has created magnificently. The danger will be that it becomes so complex and convoluted a plot that the beauty of the tale will be obscured by mere words.
The story is even better on the second reading!
I was originally given a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review but I have since bought it
Turquoise Water (Ardalia #2)
This is a fantastic continuation of The Ardalia Series. The story flows from the point we rejoin the main characters at the end of the first book and grows magnificently as each page is turned. It is one of those books that cannot willingly be put down and when the end is reached the reader has no choice but reach for the next episode in this powerful tale of might and magic.
Throughout this second part the story grows with the characters who are so real we live each and every happening. As new characters are introduced the story expands and brings the reader along with it – the reader being completely unable to do anything other. We live through events that are totally realistic even though it is a fantastical world, we meet people and witness betrayals, loyalties and more – all of which binds the story together within itself and within the reader.
I have no hesitation in recommending this series of books and this episode within that story to anyone who likes fantasy, high adventure and magic.
The Flames of the Immolated (Ardalia #3)
Oh. My. Word. What a finale!! This is epic fantasy in all its glory and what a conclusion to the Ardalia saga!
Picking up where the Turquoise Water ended this book takes our intrepid adventurers to the end of their world and back again, through more betrayal, loss, complete despair, grief and disbelief to the utter euphoria once they realised what they had ultimately achieved. We see again a story of sacrifice and team work achieve the seemingly impossible to bring each well written character through hardship and deprivation into a new beginning that brings hope to all.
This is definitely a series of books that will appeal to all lovers of epic fantasy and magic and I heartily recommend this book and the whole series to any adventurer of any age!
A brief history of Ardalia
This is a great volume to keep alongside the Ardalia Trilogy, especially if you’re a fan of Epic fantasy, as it gives the history of the races involved. It tells the history of how the major cities came about and how the wars first began which all gives an insight into the way the peoples evolved into the beings that we come to know in the trilogy