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Ken Lange Book News
One Book Two is spotlighting Ken Lange and his Nine Realms Saga series.
I think I owe a favorite author a catch up. Yeah, I’ve been neglecting my duties. Here is an update on Ken Lange. The last review I published was February of last year and since then Ken has been a writing maniac. Below is a listing of his works and the series involving Warden Global, Vigiles Urbani Chronicles, Plague Bearer and Withering. Plague Bearer and Withering haven’t been released yet. The following has been copied from Ken Lange’s Writing Page on Facebook. It’ll give you an idea of how to read the series. Each book listed in year one is available in audio as well.
Nine Realms Saga
Year One:
1) Accession of the Stone Born – (Vigiles Urbani Chronicles)
2) The Wanderer Awakens – (Warden Global)
3) Sleipnir’s Heart – (Warden Global)
4) Rise of the Storm Bringer – (Warden Global)
5) Dust Walkers – (Vigiles Urbani Chronicles)
6) Lamia’s Curse – (Warden Global)
7) Shades of Fire & Ash – (Vigiles Urbani Chronicles)
Year Two:
1) Children of the Storm – (Warden Global)
2) Dawning – (Plague Bearer)
3) Shattered Peace – (Vigiles Urbani Chronicles)
This reading order will provide you the biggest story possible. While it’s possible to just read individual series and still get a complete story…it’s recommended to read them all to see the overall arc for the larger story.
All books are available on Amazon’s kindle unlimited.
Nell’s Gossip and Book Hunt 10/7/18
Welcome to my Sunday book hunt and author gossip. Keep coming back for updates on book releases and news from favorite authors.
New release! Yay!! Bought this a couple of days ago and I’m waiting to crack the spine on my kindle to start reading! (The release date kind of slipped past me, so sorry about that.)
Title: Shades of Fire and Ash
Author: Ken Lange
Series: The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles #3
Release Date: September 25, 2018
Description: After surviving an unholy horde in New Mexico, Gavin Randall didn’t think things could get much worse, but the world he walked into eleven months ago grows more dangerous with each passing day.
A new threat has surfaced in the form of fanatics hellbent on destroying him, his friends, and the Archive itself. It’s his job to make sure that doesn’t happen, but these guys don’t play fair and have found a way to stack the odds in their favor.
With the primordial fires of Muspelheim lapping at his heels, can he survive long enough to fulfill his destiny, or will the world be burned to ash?
Also, if you haven’t started the series, you can slip on over to Amazon and get Accession of the Stone Born, Book #1 of the Vigiles Urbani Chronicles for 99 pennies.
My reviews of the others of the series:
- Accession of the Stone Born
- Accession of the Stone Born – audio book review
- Dust Walkers
Now this is not a book find but rather an event find. Next weekend in Sioux Falls, SD, On The Run Book Reviews will be sponsoring an amazing event called Fall Into Books.
The Sioux Falls FALL INTO BOOKS Event (FIBE) is a multi-genre book signing that is hosted by the local book blog, On The Run Book Reviews.
FIBE will be held on Saturday, October 13, 2018 at the Museum of Visual Materials in downtown Sioux Falls, SD.
This event is for ALL book lovers, readers, and writers alike. A place for readers to meet their favorite authors and visa versa. Have you ever wanted to meet the person behind the pages? This event is for you!
With nearly 40 authors attending there will be something for everyone. Ranging from children’s to fantasy to romance, FIBE will have a little of everything.
These authors are some of the best in the Indie world right now. Here’s a peek at the line up.
I have reviewed two of the authors that will be attending:
The Fearless series The Kings of Guardian series
Halfway Witchy series Guardian Security Shadow World
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Dust Walkers by Ken Lange
Now….for something COMPLETELY different! An adventure to the American Southwest with a new magic “law enforcement” officer still learning the world and his own power.
Title: Dust Walkers
Author: Ken Lange
Series: The Vigiles Urbani Chronicles Book 02
Publish Date: February 20, 2018
Genre: Science Fiction/Urban Fantasy
Source: Provided by the author
Publisher’s Description: When newly minted vigil Gavin Randall is summoned to a small town in New Mexico, the last thing he’s expecting is to have to fight a cartel of necromancers. Their undead horde tests the limits of his powers and shows him just how vulnerable he really is…and that’s not the worst of it.
His enemies have spent centuries preparing for a war no one within the Archive has foreseen, and he has yet to learn to control his abilities or figure out his place in this ancient conflict. With time running out, will he be able to forge the alliances he needs to survive the coming storm?
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel (or, in other words, SPOILERS).
Nervous Nellie says…
“Even a deaf, dumb, and blind man couldn’t miss this much concentrated assholery.”
OR
“I get it. This is just one more fire in the middle of an inferno.”
This is a science fiction/urban fantasy with a retired military problem solver brought in to solve the supernatural world’s serious problems. This book has no sex, no graphic violence (there is violence just not described in blood soaking detail-just a little ick) and no cliffhanger. There is a little swearing, but it’s just normal every day stuff. The romance that we read about in book 1, Accession of the Stone Born, is briefly touched on, but was not a focal point in this book.
To prepare, I re-read the new and improved version of Accession of the Stone Born and literally jumped into Dust Walkers.
This book has a few of the same characters as in the first book, but other than that it’s completely different. Gavin is now what you might call a supernatural law enforcement officer. He got this honor in the first book when he was chosen as vigil. With that in mind, he goes where people need help. Not us ordinary people, the people that are supernaturally based. Shape shifters, vampires, mages, witches…you get the idea.
There seems to be a problem with people disappearing in New Mexico and Gavin wants to figure it out. You’d think it would be a simple missing persons case, but you’d be wrong. It’s a lot more than that. I met a lot of new characters. I thought I’d be sad that only a couple of the regulars in book 1 made an appearance in book 2, but there was some big critical “dust up” in NoLA so those characters couldn’t help Gavin. With all that going on, Gavin was basically on his own with his own supernatural “dust up” with the Dust Walkers
Besides solving several missing persons cases, he has to solve his own mystery involving his developing powers. He has Grim and he is a Vigil. That’s a heavy load. He stumbles and falls a few times, but when push comes to shove, he nails it. There are questions from book 1 that are answered in book 2 and then more questions that come up in book 2 that will have to wait til book 3. The over arc is progressing along as more paths open up.
I really liked this second installment of this Gavin’s story. The over arc had some “make ya wanna say hmmmm…” moments when I discovered a couple of cool things. It mostly made me want to re-read The Wanderer Awakens, book 1 of Warden Global, to find more hints and suggestions to help put the puzzle pieces of the over arc together. These two series are bound together so even though you can read one and not the other, I wouldn’t advise it. It’s much more satisfying to have the whole picture painted.
This story was also serious. No, we don’t have a zombie hoard running through our town or anything, but it does show that prejudice is still alive and well. Not only supernatural vs. mundane but all kinds discrimination. It frustrates me that in this day and age, whether this world or a fantasy world, there are still those that are singled out because of one reason or another. That single mindedness is impeded because Gavin is a decent human being (relatively speaking human) and stands behind his friends no matter the situation. It’s also a bonus for me when the black hats get a taste of their own medicine.
One Book Two reviews of this series and the companion series, Warden Global:
- Accession of the Stone Born
- The Wanderer Awakens
- Sleipnir’s Heart
- Rise of the Storm Bringer
- in development Shades of Fire and Ash (Vigiles Urbani Chronicles)
- work in progress Children of the Storm (Warden Global)
- upcoming new series Plague Bearers
Nell’s Gossip and Book Hunt 2/11/2018
Welcome to my Sunday book hunt and author gossip. Keep coming back for updates on book releases and news from favorite authors.
- First thing out of the chute today is the audiobook release of Blue Curse (Blue Wolf #1) by Brad Magnarella. I cannot wait to listen to this!! Oh, and just a little gossip: the sequel to this book will be released in March 2018 with the audio released a month after that!
Title: Blue Curse
Author: Brad Magnarella
Series: Blue Wolf #1
Release date: January 31, 2018
Narrator: James Patrick Cronin
Publisher’s Description: “I was leading my final mission when everything went to hell…”
Cursed by a blind witch in a remote corner of Waristan, Special Ops Captain Jason Wolfe finds himself changing into a horrid creature of local legend: a lupine referred to in fearful whispers as Blue Wolf.
Faster, stronger, and more lethal, he’s the perfect soldier – but not for the U.S. military. To break the curse, Jason must lead a war between ancient tribal foes: blue werewolves and white dragons.
In a battle spanning from the icy peaks of Central Asia to the valleys of Manhattan, and with the help of a bookish wizard named Prof Croft, Jason will push himself to the breaking point. Because with the curse now spreading to his mind, he’s running out of time – and the stakes are everything.
Win and he returns home to a fiancé to whom he’s pledged a family and future.
Lose and he dies a blood-thirsty beast.
- Next up is a book sale! Who doesn’t love book sales? Author Ken Lange is putting his first book of the Vigiles Urbani Chronicles on sale from February 9-16, 2018 for 99 cents in honor of the release of book 2, Dust Walkers, releasing February 20, 2018.
Title: Accession of the Stone Born
Author: Ken Lange
Series: Vigiles Urbani Chronicles
Publisher’s Description: Former DOD operative Gavin Randall is coming home after twenty-eight years of war. Dismissed by the government he spent his life fighting for, his only solace is knowing that the life waiting for him is one of peace.
Unfortunately, Gavin stumbles upon a secret underworld that exists alongside ours, one populated by vampires, mages, and bloodthirsty werebeasts.
Now, Gavin finds himself recruited by the Biblical Lazarus, leader of this hidden community. He must track down those who seek to disrupt the fragile peace keeping these nightmare horrors at bay. If he fails, more than his life will be forfeit.
- One of my very favorite authors, Kris Michaels, has released a new book in a NEW series! Just one more book she’ll have to sign for me at the Fall Into Books Event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on October 13, 2018. It’ll be soooo much fun!!
Title: Anubis
Author: Kris Michaels
Series: Guardian Security Shadow World, book 1
Released: January 20, 2018
Publisher’s Description:
- John Conroe has released a new Demon Accords book. This will be #13 in the series. I love the Demon Accords series – highly recommended by me.
Title: Summer Reign
Author: John Conroe
Series: Demon Accords #13
Released: January 20, 2018
Publisher’s Description: Demon Accords book 13. Faced with writing college papers, prepping for tests, and teaching testy witches, Declan O’Carroll has enough on his plate. Not to mention the magical withdrawal of leaving his very own magical kingdom behind on Fairie. But when he and his friends are attacked from creatures out of folklore and fable it seems the Queens of Summer and Winter aren’t done with him yet. But if they’re so eager to mess with Earth, maybe it’s time to Earth came to them. After all, he’s got some lessons to teach.
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Accession of the Stone Born audio by Ken Lange
A fantastic combination of good and evil fighting against the even more evil. How can one man control his darkness? How can one man with such darkness fight for the good? Hop on the Stone Born train and find out.
Title: Accession of the Stone Born
By: Ken Lange
Narrated by: Paul Clewell
Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
Unabridged
Release date: 10-13-17
Language: English
Publisher: Ken Lange
Source: Purchased from Audible.com
Publisher’s Description: Former DOD operative Gavin Randall is coming home after twenty-eight years of war. Dismissed by the government he spent his life fighting for, his only solace is knowing that the life waiting for him is one of peace.
Unfortunately, Gavin stumbles upon a secret underworld that exists alongside ours, one populated by vampires, mages, and bloodthirsty werebeasts.
Now, Gavin finds himself recruited by the Biblical Lazarus, leader of this hidden community. He must track down those who seek to disrupt the fragile peace keeping these nightmare horrors at bay. If he fails, more than his life will be forfeit.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel (or, in other words, SPOILERS).
Nervous Nellie says…
I’ve already read this book. And reviewed this book. Accession of the Stone Born was a good book before, but the author did a “book overhaul” and tightened up the story and made it flow much better. I read the book again and then I listened to the audio. I have to tell you…it was marvelous! I didn’t really notice that it didn’t flow smoothly before the ‘overhaul’ but it was certainly a page turner the second time I read it.
Annnnd then I listened to it.
I really love audiobooks. The narrators give dimension to the characters my imagination can’t always achieve. Paul Clewell was amazing. Gavin was great in print but even more dimensional with a voice to go with the character in my mind. The narrator absolutely nailed the villain in this book. And Andrew. I already loved Andrew, but the narrator smoothed him out to be a true southern gentleman. A dangerous southern gentleman that with his magic and very little effort, could most likely snap me in half like a twig. To be totally honest, I believe that I loved this book as a print and audio equally.
This story is just one link in a chain of a series of stories that encompasses a lot of characters and a much larger picture. Author Lange’s story telling leads the reader on until they find themselves deep into a web filled with dangerous power hungry creatures. Each corner turned will expose characters that are connected in the most unexpected way.
The other published link in the chain is the series, Warden Global, starring Viktor Warden. Both of these series are mostly contemporary with references to the past to keep things interesting. Gavin Randall is a newbie to this world, but Viktor Warden is a seasoned professional. It doesn’t matter which series a person starts with but I do suggest both series because it makes the overall picture a much richer experience. There is violence but not consistently one scene after another. There is a mystery to figure out and pieces to the puzzle to uncover, so if that is something you enjoy – you’ll get it.
Other books in this series:
- Dust Walkers (coming February 20, 2017)
Warden Global series:
One Book Two 