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    The Captive (Ebook Shorts) (Legends of the Realm): A Legends of the Realm Story
    The Captive (Ebook Shorts) (Legends of the Realm): A Legends of the Realm Story
    The Captive (Ebook Shorts) (Legends of the Realm): A Legends of the Realm Story
    Ebook43 pages30 minutes

    The Captive (Ebook Shorts) (Legends of the Realm): A Legends of the Realm Story

    By Thomas Locke

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    About this ebook

    The only remnant of Joelle's former life is her name.
    The only hint of her future is a foreboding vision of darkness.
    And her only hope is a man she has yet to meet.

    One of the last of a disappearing race, Joelle spends her days as a prisoner of the Long Hall, sweeping corridors and dusting scrolls while young wizards learn to ply their trade. In the dark of night, she practices the magical arts that are forbidden to one of her kind, hoping to soon break the spell that holds her captive.

    But an evil is growing beyond the enchanted stone walls. Joelle will need much more than her own skills to escape it. Someone is coming for her. And when he arrives, he will change everything.

    This short ebook excerpted from Emissary gives you a magical glimpse into the Realm--and the heroes who will stop at nothing to save it.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBaker Publishing Group
    Release dateNov 4, 2014
    ISBN9781441223548
    The Captive (Ebook Shorts) (Legends of the Realm): A Legends of the Realm Story

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    Reviews for The Captive (Ebook Shorts) (Legends of the Realm)

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    • 4/5
      This is a book written by a person who exhibits a lot of confidence in his writing ability and for the most part it is well founded. The book is very easy to read and clearly expressed which is many times not evident in the fantasy genre. My major bone to pick about this world full of wizards and mages is that there is much buildup to these titanic struggles between good and evil but the conflicts themselves are anticlimactic and briefly described. Also, there is a lot of traveling by the main character with little descriptiveness about the settings. The author's principle strength is the dialogue which is well done.
    • 4/5
      This book just kept getting better until the end! As an obedient, honorable only son, Hyam reluctantly knew he had to honor his mother's dying wish...a wish he made all the arrangements necessary in order to fulfill. As his journey began, astonishing events began to unfold. Those he turned to as friends and mentors, he could no longer trust.This book of fantasy will be sure to capture the attention of YA and Adults alike. Written of a different time and in different places, it is similar to our Earthly medieval period of history. The adventure entails, mythical practices and characters, knights, Kings, Queens and more! The final page leves the reader anxious for more to come! began a little slow as the author "set the stage", although it never became boring.My review of this books offers a strong Four Stars rating.*I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review, of which I have given.
    • 5/5
      I won this book through Good Reads First Reads and I absolutely devoured it. Simply written and utterly beautiful I haven't read a book this good in awhile. The words had a lyrical quality that is hard for me to explain but I loved this book from the first page to the last and I can hardly wait for the next in the series to be released.

      I was drawn in to a beautiful world and the mind of a simple farmer who grew to be the most important man around in a sequence of events that appeared simple but as I continued to read it became complex and beyond extraordinary. The fact that Shyam continued to stick to his core strengths of loyalty, trust, protective, and a whole lot of heart while growing to be a leader of men and not become swallowed by the power that seems to be offered to him by the earth itself is so unbelievable and yet I know it to be true. He saved more people than I know he'd ever knew could be connected to him. Making close friends when in the beginning of this tale he had known real grief over the recent loss of his mother. The people drawn to Hyam are dying and true and I really wish to know what happens next. I really, really do.
    • 2/5
      DNF at 28% I don't really have a lot I can say about this book because I didn't even get 30% of the way in, but I just couldn't do it. I was bored.That doesn't mean that this is a bad book by any means. I can definitely see that some people would actually love this book, it just wasn't for me.This, actually, very much reminded me of The Wise Man's Fear, which is strange because I loved both of Patrick Rothfuss' books but I just couldn't get along with this one.There seems to be a complete lack of emotion in the writing which made it very hard for me to connect with the story and the characters - it's hard to feel involved or relate to anyone in any way. And there was this feeling of being perpetually confused about everything. There's a lot of back story here that you need at the beginning to be able to follow the story and you're not given it. After a while you start to feel like you've walked into a conversation halfway through and are being forced to join in with absolutely no context as to what has already been discussed.The pacing is a little bit off - it was a bit jarring to me. Nothing progressive seems to happen and there wasn't anything interesting enough happening to make me want to keep on reading. The writing, however, is of a very high quality.Like I said - I can see how some people would like this book - in fact, there are some hardcore high fantasy lovers out there who I think are going to adore this book, but it wasn't enough to hold my attention and I kept finding myself wondering off to do other things.This isn't a bad book - it just wasn't for me.Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      The Emissary by Thomas LockeThe beginning tale of an epic fantasy series starts on a farm where a young man cares for his dying mother. His mother is a weaver who has woven a beautiful tapestry of a young man holding up a brilliant purple orb before a battle. Her deathbed wish is that he return to the Long Hall and tell his father of her death. This journey sets Hyam on a perilous quest. At Three Valleys Long Hall he learns his father died four years before and that he might be of a race of beings who have been wiped from the earth and there is a great evil and war coming to the land. He is sent to a distant Long Hall to talk with the head mage. He rescues a young girl held captive there. He, the girl and the mage set out on a quest to find his mother’s people, the Ashanta, a telepathic group of villagers who cloak themselves in hiding. The three travelers join with the Ashanta and the green elves in the quest to defeat the Crimson Mage and rid their world of evil.The author has beautifully created a fantasy world and a wonderful backstory to evolve a series from. The characters are likeable and vibrant and the story move quickly engaging the reader. There is a lush earthiness to the flow. I am not sure that the seasoned fantasy reader will find this book more than just a prequel of better things to come. I believe the book should be classified a young adult fantasy as opposed to a fantasy for grown-ups. The action is mild and the evil while being terrible is not looked into in any amount of depth to instill fear. I found there to be a great deal of wonderful build up to an ultimate conflict, but the actual conflict was resolved rapidly. The story did leave plenty of questions unanswered and had lots of innuendo of events to come in the next book. This was a pleasant read with no foul language and no explicit gory violence. I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the next book in the series.I Thank the publisher, Revell, for providing me a e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
    • 4/5
      Thomas Locke is a new voice in epic fantasy with the first book in a new series, Legends of The Realm. Written from a Christian worldview, Emissary is not your typical Christian novel, yet it embodies the themes of justice, mercy and compassion. Unlikely and ordinary characters achieve the extraordinary through shear will and determination. If you like classic fantasy, then you need to check out this novel.Following the death of his mother, Hyam must travel to give the news to the father that left him long ago. Memories of abuse by the community of wizards his father belonged to feeds the grief and resentment in his heart. But Hyam finds out that all he once thought true has been a lie and his past is shrouded in a secret held for a thousand years. As he struggles to understand the powers he possesses, he finds he must fight the darkness that has begun to grow in the land. Along with another outcast and a former mage, Hyam gathers other outcasts to fight for what is right and true.Part quest, part coming of age story, part suspense novel, Emissary is filled with beautiful images of a medieval world nothing like our own. Hidden kingdoms, Elves and other fantastical people, power emanating from colorful orbs, and 1000 year old secrets all make this new world unique to the reader’s experience. The main characters of Hyam and Joelle are complex and very relatable. Their responses to injustice are sometimes noble and sometimes vengeful, providing the reader with a lot to ponder about what his/her own reactions would have been. As stated earlier, there is not an overt Christian message, but the struggle between good and evil mirrors a Christian worldview. I especially liked that the forces the characters draw their powers from are influenced by motives and the desires of the heart. In Hyam we find a character that draws joy from his connection with the power — something that all Christians have when truly connected to God. For those who like action in their books, you are in luck. There are plenty of fights, close scrapes and escapes to keep you turning the pages.Emissary is just book 1. While a lot is resolved in this book, the danger is not yet gone and Hyam, Joelle, Trace and other characters will face more uncertainty and fear with the rise of another dark force. More adventure, more suspense, more fantasy — perfect for lovers of this genre.Recommended.Audience: older teens and adults.(Thanks to Revell for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
    • 3/5
      Emissary by Thomas Locke is the first book of Legends of the Realm. It is about a young man named Hyam who is on a quest to find out who he is. I'm not sure how I feel about this story. The premise sounded good until I started reading the book. It wasn't my usual fantasy story in that it felt a little lackluster to me. There wasn't the usual action, which gave me pause. It felt more like a love story with a bit of fantasy thrown in. Over all, this book was well written. I won this book in a giveaway, though I'm not sure where I won it from. Anyhow, all opinions are my own.

    Book preview

    The Captive (Ebook Shorts) (Legends of the Realm) - Thomas Locke

    1

    Joelle unsheathed her knives and unrolled her stolen scroll. The last two documents she had slipped from the wizard’s library had proven useless, for they were written in some archaic script she did not understand. This scroll, however, was about something called cold fire. She drew in the mage-force, spoke the words, laced her blades with the power, and began her nightly routine. Stabbing the shadows of her windowless room, sweeping down upon foes that were asleep in other areas of the Long Hall. Readying herself for the chance that she vowed would come soon. To fight. To flee. Or die. She no longer cared much either way.

    The memories were hot tonight, as brilliantly clear as the magical force her blades weaved in the still air. Normally she did not indulge in either recollection or regret, for both cost her too much resolve. But tonight marked the beginning of her fourth year, the last she would spend here. She was almost ready. Even if she wasn’t, she was going. And tonight the memories of her arrival swept her away.

    The only part of her former life that the wizards had let her keep was her name. They had even argued over that, but in the end the quarrel had faded into sullen resentfulness. Joelle had still been weak from the ailment that had almost killed her, such that acolytes had carried her on the same stretcher her mother’s kin had used to bring her from their homeland. Nine days they had traveled to arrive at this Long Hall, and not once had they spoken to her or even looked her way.

    As it was, many of the wizards she met in those early fever-stricken days did not want to take her in. Those who opposed her staying in the Long Hall did not actually come out and say what they thought, which was she would be better off dead and all the problems she represented buried with her. Joelle had silently agreed with them, for she had loathed the stone community at first sight. She had just turned fifteen, and she was to be their prisoner for life.

    Her one true friend among the mages was named Trace, and he was the Master who ruled over all the wizards and their community, which was named after the largest structure, a Long Hall.

    None of this is as it should be, he told her six weeks after her arrival, when

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