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In Search of Gods and Heroes (Children of Nalowyn Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

Buried in the scriptures of Ibea lies a story of rivalry, betrayal, stolen love, and the bitter division of the gods into two factions. This rift forced the lesser deities to pledge their divine loyalty either to the shining Eternal Kingdom or the darkness of the Underworld.
When a demon sneaks into the mortal world and murders an innocent girl to get to her sister Chaeli, all pretence of peace between the gods is shattered. For Chaeli is no ordinary mortal, she is a demi-goddess, in hiding for centuries, even from herself. But there are two divine brothers who may have fathered her, and the fate of Ibea rests on the source of her blood.
Chaeli embarks on a journey that tests her heart, her courage, and her humanity. Her only guides are a man who died a thousand years ago in the Dragon Wars, a former assassin for the Underworld, and a changeling who prefers the form of a cat.
The lives of many others – the hideously scarred Anya and her gaoler; the enigmatic and cruel Captain Kerne; the dissolute Prince Dal; and gentle seer Hana – all become entwined. The gods will once more walk the mortal plane spreading love, luck, disease, and despair as they prepare for the final, inevitable battle.
In Search of Gods and Heroes, Book One of Children of Nalowyn, is a true epic of sweeping proportions which becomes progressively darker as the baser side of human nature is explored, the failings and ambitions of the gods is revealed, and lines between sensuality and sadism, love and lust are blurred.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00KZ6DHZY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kristell Ink, Grimbold Books; 1st edition (13 Jun. 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.7 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 420 pages
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

About the author

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Sammy H.K Smith
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Sammy H.K Smith is the author of ‘In Search of Gods and Heroes’ and has contributed stories to the anthologies ‘The Nun and Dragon’ and ‘The Book of Angels’. She lives and works as a police detective in Oxfordshire, specialising in domestic and sex abuse and also co-owns Grimbold Books and runs the imprint Kristell Ink. When she isn’t working or publishing, she studies part time with the Open University and works on her own writing projects, all whilst looking after her gorgeous son and 12 cats and 2 dogs. Her husband is a very patient man.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
36 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the epic storytelling and believable world. They find the characters relatable and well-developed, with complex protagonists that are fallible yet still followable.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

10 customers mention ‘Storytelling’7 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the epic storytelling and believable world. They find the characters relatable and gripping. The tale has nods to classical mythology, but not too much.

"...-ranging backdrop to her ongoing adventure, providing a vivid and complex world. As you may have gathered, I really enjoyed this one...." Read more

"...Ibea is a richly characterised world, full of broken seers, scarred herbalists, mysterious librarians, spies and counter-spies...." Read more

"...There are definite nods to classical mythology throughout, but not so much that it detracts from the unique creations of the author herself...." Read more

"This is a gripping tale, I couldn't put it down once I'd started. I had an attachment to the characters from their first introductions...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Character development’4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters well-developed and engaging. The protagonist is complex yet human in her motives and actions, making her relatable yet challenging to follow.

"...The protagonist is pleasingly complex and the evident latent power she possesses but doesn’t yet really understand or properly know was well handled...." Read more

"...Chaeli is a heroine who is both believable in her motives and human in her actions. She is fallible, yet still follow-able...." Read more

"...An absolutely great read. All the characters are easy to engage with and I particularly love the Gods...." Read more

"A lovely book, well written, strong characters, good storytelling. If you're a fan of epic fantasy then this is a book you are going to want to read...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2015
    This is a classical epic fantasy, complete with many of the themes and conventions you’d expect. The protagonist is pleasingly complex and the evident latent power she possesses but doesn’t yet really understand or properly know was well handled. I also liked her edges. While she is harried and on the run, reliant on the kindness of strangers, it doesn’t mean she is overly submissive or biddable – or stridently, unbelievably stroppy either. It’s a balance harder to achieve than Smith makes it look. In fact, the writing is accomplished and smooth.

    Triangular relationships are difficult to pull off, without the woman in the middle looking like a conniving flirt and Smith has the two heroes falling in love with Chaeli. However, I really like how she sets up the relationships, where gods get involved, using mortals in their power struggles. It’s a nifty way of setting up a situation that causes plenty of ongoing tension and heartache and certainly had me very much caring about the outcome. It’s a familiar theme that runs through much epic Fantasy and yet Smith’s character-led approach makes her take on this engrossing and readable.

    World-building is always crucial in this genre, and it can be something of a stumbling block for me. While I always enjoy a detailed, believable world, I do end up skimming pages of description – not so with In Search of Gods and Heroes. Smith’s depiction of the cut-throat atmosphere of court, a city where everyone is frightened and subdued, and the initial calm freedom of the academic atmosphere of Lindor gives a wide-ranging backdrop to her ongoing adventure, providing a vivid and complex world.

    As you may have gathered, I really enjoyed this one. Any niggles? Well, it’s more of an observation and something of a risk. While Smith sets a number of plotlines running, by the end of the first book – and it’s a reasonably hefty read at 400+ pages – there is no resolution to any of the ongoing stories. For some reason I’m still not able to fathom, I found I was fairly relaxed about this. Perhaps it’s because halfway through the book I promised myself that I’d dive into the next book as soon as I can. But if you really mind about having a payoff by the end of a book, then be warned, In Search of Gods and Heroes is very much the start of a series.

    This sub-genre isn’t an automatic favourite of mine – I’ve trudged through far too many over-written, long-winded tomes with nothing fresh or original to say. But after reading a book of this calibre, I also know why I haven’t given up on it. And if you’re a fan of Kate Elliott’s Crown of Stars series, Glenda Larke, Elspeth Cooper and Helen Lowe, and you haven’t yet had the pleasure, go look and track this one down. You’ll be thanking me if you do.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2017
    When a demon forces his way into Chaeli's home and kills her sister, Chaeli is thrown into a new world where nothing is as it first appears. A world where living gods stalk the land, playing out their games of spite and malice, where alliances are uncertain and shifting, and where her own mysterious heritage makes her a pawn in a deadly game of good vs evil. Can she trust an Underworld assassin, a dead man, or a changeling who prefers the form of a cat?

    Sammy HK Smith's debut novel is a tightly-paced coming-of-age story set in a world where the living gods bicker and play politics just like earthly men. Ibea is a richly characterised world, full of broken seers, scarred herbalists, mysterious librarians, spies and counter-spies. Everyone, including the gods, plays to their own agenda, and the way Smith has weaved deception and counter-deception is skillful. The reader is never sure who to trust; even Chaeli, or the innocent seer Hanna, or quiet, scarred Anya, have their own secrets and desires that may set them at odds with both their companions and, sometimes, with themselves. And because of this conflict the story heads towards some dark places as it twists and tangles. In some places it's unsettling - Captain Kerne's abuse of both Anya and Hanna is disturbing, but although the story is bleak, it's not without hope. Guardian Adley is pure of heart, a beacon of good in a dark world, as is conflicted Nathan who struggles to do the right thing by and for Chaeli.

    It's a shame there hasn't yet been a sequel published, as the story is left on a number of cliffhangers and with plenty of questions left open. Recommended for those who like their fantasy on the dark side.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2014
    I am a huge fantasy fan, however I am also very picky about my epic fantasy; I find a lot of it needlessly long-winded, overly descriptive, two dimensional characters, cliched heroes, irritating in its insistence on filling out the space between actual events with drawn out journeys that do nothing but slow the pace.... you get the idea.

    This book, IS NOTHING LIKE THAT.

    This book, is FABULOUS.

    While we are plunged from the start into a fairly standard fantasy setup with gods and humans, demons and various other creatures wandering about, it is soon very apparent that there is nothing run of the mill about this particular plot. For starters, Chaeli is a heroine who is both believable in her motives and human in her actions. She is fallible, yet still follow-able. I am unsure if I found this to be the case because I am a woman and found her to be - as a female character - very relateable, or whether she is just a very relatable character. It's possible that male readers might find her to be less likable, but I don't believe that to be the case - there are numerous fantasy stories in which the protagonists is a male, and I find myself fully capable of investing in them and willing following through through to the end of the narrative. In Chaeli's case however it wasn't only her character who was so likeable, for she is backed up by several colourful secondary characters (my favourite being Sheiva).

    Pacing is good throughout the novel. The opening sequence immediately plunges us into the action and, really, it doesn't let up much from that point until the climax. There is the odd bit where it slows down to allow for other aspects of plot and character development to come in, but this isn't a bad thing - books can't be all action all the time, the trick is knowing when the reader needs a bit of a breather, and making sure that breather isn't too long. Smith does this well for the most part, and her worldbuilding throughout is excellent. There are definite nods to classical mythology throughout, but not so much that it detracts from the unique creations of the author herself.

    All in all I would recommend this to any fans of high fantasy, specifically those centering around the cosmic balance between gods and men. I am thoroughly looking forward to the next installment!
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Mary Enck
    5.0 out of 5 stars This novel is how stories should be. At once, entertaining, mysterious and enlightening.
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 April 2016
    This was a treat to read. For me it was like having my first taste of ice cream. I have not read a novel about gods like this one. So, this is my first time larking about through the pages, going along with the characters on their quests. Essentially, it is a quest for good over evil. The characters are so finely written, they seem very much alive indeed. They have all been described in other posts and the plot massaged so that I don't feel I should say any more about that. I feel it should be for the next reader to discover the way of the story. There are many characters and it becomes a delight to stay connected with the one you are currently reading and then switch to another. It's never boring on that account. The action moves along at a sprightly clip and kept me from sleep for several nights. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Search For Gods And Heroes. I need more and hope to discover that there will be a sequel or that there is one already just waiting out there for me to savor.

    Sammy H K Smith is simply an excellent story teller. I admire her work and hope one day to be as well tuned to the craft as she is. Thank you, Sammy for writing such an entertaining novel. I am happy I had the privilege to read it.
  • SRWENT
    5.0 out of 5 stars Her characters are well defined and some are liked, while others are diabolical
    Reviewed in the United States on 9 May 2015
    The sorceress, Sammy, with each turned page is pulling you deeper into her spell. Her characters are well defined and some are liked, while others are diabolical. An even flow of action sets the pacing—this one scene made me laugh,
    “Good to see you, Adders! Dragons are going to help then, eh?” The cat stood and stretched.
    “Yes, a female hatchling will be joining us soon to fly us to Linder.”
    “Female, eh?” Sheiva’s interest was sparked. “Didn’t think the old lizard would send one of his ladies.”
    “Apparently she is the closest, and the fastest flyer in this region, although I have been warned she can be a handful.”
    “All dragons are a handful, the females are just a little more…fiery,” The fae snickered at his own joke.
    I am looking forward to the next book in this thrilling series.
  • Mrs.swago
    5.0 out of 5 stars Can't put it down.
    Reviewed in the United States on 13 May 2016
    Wonderful book and it was very hard to put down. Will be getting more books by this author in the future.
  • gregg
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in the United States on 30 May 2015
    Good read not much into short stories though
  • A P
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on 16 May 2015
    Loved it. Fun to read.

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