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Shard Knight (Echoes Across Time Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 165 ratings

The world believes the last heir to the throne died five years ago.

The world is wrong.


When a corrupt archbishop overthrows the queen, her teenage son, Prince Ronan Latimer, fakes his own death to escape.

The false king reigns for five years instilling a brutal regime bent on ethnic cleansing and racial divide. Meanwhile, the missing prince has grown into a young man who's hardened his skills on the capital city's mean streets.

Now, when the world needs a savior, will Ronan answer the call? Can he set aside his bitterness and thirst for revenge long enough to offer hope to those who resist?

Can the man the world once knew as Prince Ronan reclaim his crown and prepare the world against an even greater threat? Will he find strength enough to overcome his foes? More importantly, can he find it in his heart to forgive those who've wronged him?

Follow a young man's fall from grace and his rise from the ashes. 


You'll love this epic series that winds across continents and bridges relationships thought beyond repair. You'll find swords and magic. Dragons and the undead. You'll find hope, ambition, lust, and cruelty all on the pages of this magical series that grabs you on page one and holds you for the ride.

Most of all, you'll love this series because you can read it FREE with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Grab a copy today and start your adventure.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Matthew Ballard was born in Marion, Indiana in 1969. He grew up and still resides in the Hoosier state where he lives with his wife and four children. In addition to reading and writing fantasy novels, Matthew is an avid runner and a tech junkie. You can find Matthew Ballard at http: //matthewdballard.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HBJ70TC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Six Strong Publishing; 1st edition (December 14, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 14, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.3 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 519 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 165 ratings

About the author

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Matthew Ballard
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Matthew Ballard lives in Fishers, Indiana where he lives with his wife, four kids, and Maggie, his faithful golden retriever.

He has spent his career working in the IT industry. In his spare time he's always working on the next book.

You can find Matthew Ballard at http://matthewdballard.com

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
165 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book's engaging storyline and interesting premise. They found the characters believable and well-developed. However, opinions differed on the writing style - some considered it excellent with smart, consistent characters. Others noted basic grammar, typos, and poor word usage.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

17 customers mention "Enjoyment"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the book. They found it an enjoyable read with an interesting premise and engaging magic systems that kept them hooked. The book is described as a solid first effort from the author, and they look forward to reading the rest of the series.

"I would say that a good way to look at this book is that it is solid. It doesn't take much in the way of risks but doesn't mess too much either...." Read more

"...to get some sleep but figured I would post a good review because it was enjoyable. Bright things on the horizon from this author...." Read more

"It was a good book, I would rate it more of a 4.5 than a 4. It kept you interested the whole way thru...." Read more

"A thoroughly enjoyable read with lots of twists and surprises. A quick read because it flows so smoothly and is compelling...." Read more

17 customers mention "Storyline"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline. They find the characters believable, the plot is engaging, and the book is well-written. Readers describe it as an exciting adventure with an interesting premise and magic systems. The story is straightforward and keeps them interested throughout.

"I enjoyed the author's writing style. He is creative, managed the plot well and brought in some interesting ideas...." Read more

"...The story is pretty simple and straightforward and you will probably see most of it coming a mile away but the ride getting there was still pretty..." Read more

"...Bright things on the horizon from this author. I like the way the story unfolds and it even surprised a me a few times." Read more

"...It kept you interested the whole way thru. I am waiting for the second book to be released." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's character development. They find the characters engaging and praise the writing quality.

"...The characters are not bad. If you read fantasy a bit you ill recognize many from the almost cookie cutter molds they come from...." Read more

"...It is well written and the characters are strong but it felt like I've seen this story too many times to really recommend it...." Read more

"...This fit the bill perfectly great characters, excellent writing, and the 2 types of magic make a great counterpoint to each other , look forward..." Read more

"Enjoyed the main characters, writing kept me interested. I read fantasy; this one I would recommend...." Read more

11 customers mention "Writing style"7 positive4 negative

Customers have different views on the writing style. Some find it excellent with great characters and an interesting magic structure. Others mention basic grammar, typos, poor word usage, and unrealistic elements like the main character not killing the evil.

"I enjoyed the author's writing style. He is creative, managed the plot well and brought in some interesting ideas...." Read more

"...One thing in particular makes NO sense and it nearly destroys them but I cant say cause of you know...spoilers and all that stuff...." Read more

"...It is well written and the characters are strong but it felt like I've seen this story too many times to really recommend it...." Read more

"...This fit the bill perfectly great characters, excellent writing, and the 2 types of magic make a great counterpoint to each other , look forward..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2014
    I enjoyed the author's writing style. He is creative, managed the plot well and brought in some interesting ideas. I am guessing this is the first of a series as he left it very open for the next step in the life of the protagonist.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2014
    I would say that a good way to look at this book is that it is solid. It doesn't take much in the way of risks but doesn't mess too much either. The world is fairly small or at least it seems that way. We get maybe three total regions in the place and none of it is described too well. The history is also a question mark. Some of this plays into the story but even still we don't get much in the way of background here.

    The characters are not bad. If you read fantasy a bit you ill recognize many from the almost cookie cutter molds they come from. Some you may like some you may not but in the end there is not really much to them. The magic is simple but effective. An example is that there are shards and someone can absorb the power of the shard granting them abilities. We are not told much about how it works though. Again some of this plays into the story but I kept asking myself why no one has more than one ability and if it was possible. I wanted the story to go more in the technical bits but it doesn't.

    The story is pretty simple and straightforward and you will probably see most of it coming a mile away but the ride getting there was still pretty fun.

    One thing I think you should be warned about is what one of the 'types' of book it is. This is the type of book that has you asking how stupid some of these characters can be. WHY are they doing that?! LISTEN to that character! They make quite a few stupid decisions when the consequences are staring them in the face. So be warned if that type of thing annoys you. They also have a tendency to do things that don't make much sense. One thing in particular makes NO sense and it nearly destroys them but I cant say cause of you know...spoilers and all that stuff.

    You may look at this review and think that I only pointed at negatives but still gave it 4 stars. Well let me explain some things. First off I would give it 3.5 except amazon wont let me and im in a good mood. Second I try to point some out because a lot of people don't seem to want to. In the end I enjoyed the book enough to say ill keep my eyes open for a sequel and cant think of a reason why you shouldn't at least give it a shot.

    One last thing. While it is the beginning of a series it ends in a way that most would not have a problem putting it down.
    12 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2014
    I read the book in a single night. Need to get some sleep but figured I would post a good review because it was enjoyable. Bright things on the horizon from this author. I like the way the story unfolds and it even surprised a me a few times.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2014
    It was a good book, I would rate it more of a 4.5 than a 4. It kept you interested the whole way thru. I am waiting for the second book to be released.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
    This one was a little too predictable for me. It seemed to start off with too many of the common assumptions in modern fantasy literature and didn't really challenge you to get out of them. It is well written and the characters are strong but it felt like I've seen this story too many times to really recommend it. With that said for someone who hasn't read a lot of fantasy it would be great.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2014
    A thoroughly enjoyable read with lots of twists and surprises. A quick read because it flows so smoothly and is compelling. A very solid first effort, and I look forward to the next in the series.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2014
    Ok boo
    k. Little unrealistic that the main character would not kill the evil knights when he got a chance. Besides that aspect, it was a good read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2014
    I was looking for some epic, fun fantasy esp. after reading the darkness that's in Game of Thrones. This fit the bill perfectly great characters, excellent writing, and the 2 types of magic make a great counterpoint to each other , look forward with baited breath for the next 2 installments!
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars ... read a lot of fantasy books and this was good one. Kept me interested enough to look for ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2015
    I read a lot of fantasy books and this was good one. Kept me interested enough to look for the next one although it is a stand alone story.
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2014
    I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are engaging, the plot is fast paced, and the reader is left wanting more.

    There were a few verb confusions, and the odd misplaced letter or word but it was nowhere near as bad as a lot of books I've read on the Kindle.

    I didn't give it five stars for only one reason, the ending! I won't spoil it for others, but the epilogue just cuts off in the middle of a conversation. It would have been better not to have the epilogue at all as it adds nothing to the story but gives a very weak hint about the sequel.
  • Darren Moore
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2014
    buy this book now
  • tezer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2015
    good

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