The Tale of Tiernan

I was very fortunate enough to receive an ARC from James to give my thoughts on his upcoming novel.

As someone who hasn’t quite delved into the world of fantasy, I was thrilled to read a fantasy book for the first time and wow what a great fantasy book this was! I was stunned by Colsons ability to transport me to the small world he has created in this book. The storytelling in this book is very refreshing compared to traditional ways of narrative that we see nowadays, Colson uses his writing to give us multiple perspectives from different points in time. His ability to give characters a well rounded background fed into the rich plot of this story which for me was a great foundation to create an adventure as I turned each page. I’m positive that most people will enjoy this book as much as I did.

I received an ARC of this book from the author.

I’m honestly blown away by Colsons debut novel. The world building is excellent as is his character development. What struck me the most while reading was how it brought back the same feelings I had when I discovered other favorite fantasy authors for the first time. The summer I discovered Tolkien, the spring I discovered Piers Anthony and The Magic of Xanth, reading The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time. This brought that same sense of wonder and excitement to follow the characters story and see where it lead.

I found the way Colson chose to tell the story interesting as well. I don’t want to create any spoilers but it’s a refreshingly different tact. I cared about these characters and I felt their pain as they faced certain devastating moments in the story. If I didn’t have to work and sleep I would have absolutely devoured the entire thing in one massive reading marathon. I cannot wait for the second book.

At the very end Colson has a blurb about how this world and these characters came to be. I usually skip over those parts of books but, I read this one, and it just made me love his characters that much more. The book comes out May 28, 2024 and I definitely recommend checking it out.

This is one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read in a long time. The author takes the time to provide details on this new world, but doesn’t overwhelm the reader. You find yourself falling in love with the good guys and feeling the roller coaster of emotions they all go through.

It also comes with pronunciations of character names and city names in the back, which I’ve never seen before and GREATLY appreciate.

This is a great adventure fantasy book!!

What a world building adventure. This is written from the MMC point of view as he is writing a memoir of sorts.

To avoid spoilers I will say this was a very interesting way to have the book laid out, we get his real time experience as he is reliving these memories while writing documenting it all down as he sits in The Drunken Alligator, but within his pages we get all the other characters point of views and snippets of their point of views as well.

The first 50% of the book is definitely slower in pacing as it is building the world for you and I was grateful for the legend in the back and the map. There is a ton that you get exposed to. Races. Back stories. Tragic stories. Twists and turns. The last half of the book has you gripping the pages and biting your nails.

There was definitely twists and betrayal I did not expect. Some parts had me completely flabbergasted and left utterly wrecked and emotionally drained. This book pulls you through this world and you can actually feel the heat of the caves. Experience the anxiety of the King and Queen. Understand the bond between the twins. The uncertainty of the Dragonborn as she learns her capabilities.

This book definitely has all of the elements you want in a good fantasy adventure. With enough mystery to keep you turn the pages.

(No spice but does have romance and love interests.)

Wow this was truly an epic fantasy novel, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
There is a LOT of world building and it can feel a little overwhelming but that is to be expected in any high fantasy book so I wasn’t mad about it.
It’s a multi generational retelling of past events in a third person perspective, but also toggles to the present tense from the eyes of Tiernan, the titular character. I actually enjoyed this style because you got to see many different story lines all coming together.

I enjoyed all the different characters, their stories, and their personalities. I felt they were well thought out.

I would be very interested in reading the next instalment of this series.

I truly enjoyed this debut novel by James Colson! Plenty of adventure, strong family bonds, chilling villains and enough intrigue to keep you guessing and wanting more. I especially enjoyed following the main character as he comes of age, finds his place in his family and kingdom and determines to be the hero everyone needs. This book kept me turning the pages to see what's coming next, i certainly needed the tissue box a few times but also enjoyed some good laughs.

This was a book I couldn’t put down and I’m anxiously awaiting book 2!

This book is true fantasy- world building, monsters, magic. There are relationships that build throughout the story, but there is no romance that permeated throughout. The family structure drives this whole story- how love, or the lack thereof, can be a catalyst for who someone becomes.

I enjoyed everything about this book. I’m excited to see where the next one goes.

Allow yourself to be whisked away to the Kingdom of Abria, if you dare. The Protectors may need your assistance against who, or what, you must find out for yourself.

You won't be sorry you did.