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| SFReader Forums > Book, Magazine, and eZine Publishers > Silver Leaf Books > Clifford B. Bowyer Book Reviews | Forum Quick Jump
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Braksis
Warlord
      
Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 138
| Posted 4/1/2007 12:42 AM (GMT -4) |   | |
Sometimes the Best Reading is for Fun
Book Review - Clifford B. Bowyer's The Impending Storm
by J.D. Charles, The Logan Banner, September 18, 2004
Most folks that know me, know that I like to read. Over the past year, I have been trying to squeeze a little more fiction into my reading and back off on the serious stuff.
Not so long ago, I saw an ad for a new fantasy novel by an author I had never heard of before, from a publisher I was unfamiliar with. I looked around on E-bay for a copy of "The Impending Storm" by Clifford B. Bowyer, but to no avail. (I used to buy a lot of books from E-bay - the worlds biggest online flea market as it is cheaper than buying new books.) So I contacted the publisher about obtaining a copy. And boy am I glad that I did.
Bowyer's Imperium Saga may tread a similar path to other fantasy novelists (most particularly J.R.R. Tolkien), however it treads that path very well, and ads a few new things along the way. Bowyer's prose is modern and snappy, his characters are well drawn out and not interchangeable with each other, and he doesn't fall prey to three page long paragraphs that seem convoluted to the reader. (I never could get into Tolkien's fiction because of his meandering prose.) Thankfully there are no traditional hobbit breakfast songs in it either.
Bowyer’s saga begins fittingly enough with a traditional quest, this time as Kai, a Madrew elf with a penchant for archery and swashbuckling is sent out to find the Chosen One - in this case a young human named Kyria. Kyria will eventually have a greater impact on the archer than the elf could imagine, helping her reach her full potential in a world of wizards and warriors, dragons and trolls and adventure.
Bowyer has assembled a very interesting cast of characters with Braksis, a human warlord who was raised by a non-human troll named Ferceng; Solara, his traveling companion and bodyguard (sort of a female Samurai warrior); the beautiful and strong willed Empress Karleena who is attempting to hold together a loose confederation of human city states along with other races (including Centaurs, aquatic amphibians and flying bird people) and a hardy band of warrior dwarves.
Opposed to Bowyer’s stalwart heroes are the mage Zoldex, who tends to influence the thoughts and actions of others, making them pawns in his own game, and various trolls, goblins and hobgoblins, along with two old foes from Braksis past, his relative Rawthorne and the outlaw Durgin. One of this duo actually committed an act of cannibalism in prison when another inmate snatched some food from his serving tray. Hardcases don’t come any harder than that.
Another interesting addition to the traditional swords and sorcery fare is the inclusion of an organized crime element known as the Hidden Empire, which acts a lot like the mafia in that corrupt businessmen and even kings like the sleazy King Garum wind up being the public faces, while the leadership of the Hidden Empire really calls the shots behind the scenes.
Another innovation for fantasy fiction is the appearance of Nitorum a ninja like bad guy who assaults the castle and makes off with Karleena. Into this mix, Bowyer brings a variety of creatures from folklore and myth such as cat people centaurs and minotaurs.
Braksis, the main character is in some ways a traditional fantasy hero. Like Siegfried from Norse mythology, he is raised by a non-human smith who crafts for him a special sword, the Phoenix. Unlike the majority of modern authors, Bowyer takes time to describe to in detail what his various characters look like, sound like and even happen to be wearing, to help the reader paint a vivid mental picture of the World of the Imperium in his or her mind.
Through the course of the book, there are battles and action aplenty, and Braksis and Solara finally realize they have feelings for each other and at last give in to them.... only to be attacked by the villains and a pack of goblins along the way. (Bowyer and Silver Leaf Books have a spin off series aimed at young adults featuring Kyria the Chosen).
If you enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy in movie theaters and found out that Prof. Tolkien's florid prose was a bit too much, but want more of that sort of wide screen epic feel to your fantasy reading, I can definitely recommend "The Impending Storm" by Clifford Bowyer, an exciting new talent in the world of fantasy fiction.
Clifford B. Bowyer
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Braksis
Warlord
Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 138
| Posted 4/1/2007 12:44 AM (GMT -4) | | Phenomenal Fantasy Takes Readers on a Daring Crusade
The Imperium Saga: The Impending Storm—Fall of the Imperium Trilogy, Book I by Clifford B. Bowyer. $27.95 hardcover, ISBN 0-9744354-4-9, published by Silver Leaf Books, LLC, P.O. Box 6460, Holliston, MA 01746. (888) 823-6450. www.SilverLeafBooks.com. Review by About Books.
From the first page, The Imperium Saga: The Impending Storm, grabs your attention with a vise-like grip and doesn’t loosen it even after you’ve finished the final paragraph. This new fantasy thriller by first-time novelist Clifford B. Bowyer takes you on a mythic journey into a richly detailed world like none you have ever known.
Bowyer’s deft storytelling abilities shine as he details the adventures of Warlord Braksis, Empress Karleena, and the Madrew elf Kai. These heroes seek to unravel a conspiracy that will impact the lives of the Seven Kingdoms, or the Imperium as it is better known, forevermore.
The book begins with the foreshadowing of an ancient evil as the Madrew elves, an ancient and noble civilization themselves, have abandoned their homeland as an insatiable force swept the land and left only desolate destruction in their wake. The few fortunate survivors look to the child of prophecy as their savior, a twelve-year-old girl known to them as the Chosen One. A trio of volunteers is sent to the Seven Kingdoms to find and protect the child until she is old enough to fulfill her destiny.
The Imperium is beset by a multitude of skirmishes with its dissatisfied citizens. A young Empress, Karleena, has recently claimed the throne after the assassination of her father. Though she craves peace and prosperity for the land, where all citizens are equals regardless of their station, the revolts have escalated to the brink of war.
Warlord Braksis, a defender of the Empress, finds himself thrust into battle after battle to preserve the Imperium. From the Dartian Plains where the Imperial Army confronts a legion of rebelling hunters, to a three-headed reptilian creature, to a Shadow Mage, Braksis must persevere or all may be lost.
During his trials, Braksis will ally himself with the Madrew elf Kai, as well as other heroes of the realm. He soon learns that the plight of the Imperium may have origins more sinister than dissatisfied citizens – a single tyrant, Zoldex, may be behind the revolts and attacks throughout the Imperium.
In several confrontations of good versus evil, Braksis, Karleena, and Kai find themselves in grave danger. At every turn, a new danger emerges to bar their path and make the future of the Imperium look bleak. Will the forces of Zoldex win out? The enigmatic ending gives fantasy fans future books in this series to look forward to.
In this fascinating first volume, Bowyer has created a magnificent world that is palpable and believable. The Imperium Saga: The Impending Storm is an enthralling tale that skillfully draws readers into an enchanting society of heroes and hooligans, magic and monsters.
Clifford B. Bowyer
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Braksis
Warlord
Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 138
| Posted 4/1/2007 12:46 AM (GMT -4) | | Crafted by a Skilled and Talented Master of the Genre.
The Impending Storm
Clifford B. Bowyer
Silver Leaf Books
PO Box 6460, Holliston, MA 01746
www.SilverLeafBooks.com
0974435449 $27.95 1-888-823-6450
Review by: Mid West Book Review
Beginning "The Imperium Saga" series, The Impending Storm is a grand work of high fantasy by Clifford B. Bowyer. An ancient civilization of elves, all but brought to ruin by an insidious force, sends a trio of emissaries and protectors to find a chosen girl of the Seven Kingdoms, prophesied to be their savior. The Empress of the Seven Kingdoms, and those allies closest to her, are struggling with rebellion, ruthless enemies, and the machinations of a hidden tyrant. A sweeping saga of dire conflict and sparkling hope, The Impending Storm is a well crafted heroic fantasy and will leave the reader looking eagerly towards the next volume in what promises to be a truly outstanding "Fall of the Imperium Trilogy" crafted by a skilled and talented master of the genre.
Clifford B. Bowyer
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Braksis
Warlord
Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 138
| Posted 4/1/2007 12:47 AM (GMT -4) | | Fall of the Imperium: The Impending Storm
Book Review - Clifford B. Bowyer's The Impending Storm
Review by: Bookwire Book Reviews
Silver Leaf Books, Holliston, MA, $27.95 US, hardcover with dust jacket, (463p)
ISBN: 0974435449
Once the Seven Kingdoms were populated by many races that banded together against a common enemy. But after their victory, humans turned on their allies. Having driven out the other races, the human kingdoms formed the Imperium under the leadership of the Emperor.
Now cracks are forming in the once-stable empire. The Emperor is dead, and his good-intentioned but inexperienced daughter, Karleena, sits on the throne. Old enemies are reuniting under a new leader, and peasants throughout the Imperium are rioting. Most disturbing of all are whispered rumors that the powerful tyrant Zoldex is preparing to strike.
In this first novel of his fantasy trilogy Fall of the Imperium, Clifford Bowyer builds a complex foundation for the wars and race conflicts that threaten to destroy the Imperium. The separate struggles of three characters−Karleena, Braksis, and Kai−are woven neatly together to form the backbone of the story.
During these turbulent times, the elf Kai is sent by her people in search of the Chosen One, a young girl prophesied to save them. The girl's name is Kyria, and Kai shows up just in time to rescue her from a village on the edge of revolt. As the two adventure together, Kai teaches Kyria how to unlock her hidden powers and fully become the Chosen One. Once Kyria begins using her awesome magical skills, the two are pursued by a group of Mages with hidden, and possibly nefarious, goals.
Karleena struggles to salvage the empire by giving more power to the people, but many of the Imperium's kings are resistant. She also seeks to bring the races together once again to defeat Zoldex.
Karleena's defender, the Warlord Braksis, travels from battle to battle, fighting and clawing his way through ranks of adversaries in a desperate attempt to hold the Imperium together. As Karleena, Braksis, and Kai's paths cross, they combine their wit, strength, and pure willpower to overcome the evil rolling across the Seven Kingdoms.
In its concept and execution, The Impending Storm is a classically written fantasy novel. With echoes of other fantasy epics−those of Mercedes Lackey come to mind−The Impending Storm has much to offer those who love swords and sorcery. The novel can be a bit jarring, particularly dialog that at times uses archaic forms and at other times sounds like modern American slang, depending upon the race. And the sheer number of races can be difficult to keep track of. These are relatively minor quibbles, however, especially compared with the imagination on display here.
Clifford Bowyer is the author of the Fall of the Imperium saga, as well as The Adventures of Kyria, a series of fantasy books for younger readers set in the Imperium universe. Bowyer lives in Massachusetts.
Clifford B. Bowyer
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Braksis
Warlord
Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 138
| Posted 4/1/2007 12:49 AM (GMT -4) | | Bowyer Does it Again
Book Review - Clifford B. Bowyer's The Changing Tides
by J.D. Charles, The Logan Banner, December 16, 2005
One of the best gift ideas for Christmas for people of all ages is a good book.
The world of reading is a rich one and the choices available are nearly endless. You have fiction, non fiction, fantasy, adventure, westerns, mysteries, romances, true crime, anthropology and as many varieties of books as the mind (and the publishers) can imagine.
The other day somebody asked me to recommend a good, lengthy novel for someone who enjoyed flights of fantasy, such as the famous "Lord of the Rings" trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien....
From the time of the publication and the initial success of Tolkein's "The Hobbit" other writers and publishers have tried to cash in on that success with a wave of books about Orcs and adventurers, but far too many just trot out cardboard characters that have little life and little to recommend them. Fortunately, however, there are several good modern fantasy authors who continue to tell traditional tales, but in new ways and use their own voice and vision to guide them.
I had a good recommendation as I had just finished "The Changing Tides" which is volume two of Clifford B. Bowyer's "Fall of the Imperium Trilogy" saga.
I had first became interested in the original volume in this new epic fantasy drama when I saw an ad for the first volume "The Impending Storm."
That book introduced readers to the world of the Imperium and a host of fascinating heroes and villains.
"The Changing Tides" continues the story of warriors and elves, dwarves and Dragons as the Seven Kingdoms come closer to an impending final conflict that will rock the foundations of Bowyer's impressive fantasy world.
In "The Changing Tides" the great hero Braksis (of the first volume) is still missing, and the evil Zoldex is marshaling his forces for the great conflict that is ahead. "The Changing Tides" has a large cast of characters, but the reader is not confused in the least, as Bowyer has them speaking and acting with different voices and personalities. One standout in "The Changing Tides" is the masterful assassin Kabillian who is something of a magical artifacts collector as well as a con-artist supreme. He winds up taking a sidekick under his wing, the grasping Crick, a non-human being who scavenges weapons from dead warriors but has a gift for survival as well as a taste for fine implements of destruction. One amusing side plot sees the duo conning some wonderful armour for Crick out of some gullible dwarves through Kabillain's chicanery and gift of gab.
Solara, the warrior woman supreme from the first volume of the Fall of the Imperium Trilogy winds up face to face with the ghosts of her past, while trying to cope with her feelings about the loss of Braksis. Various conflicts and relationships come to bear upon her as she journeys.
Bowyer's "The Changing Tides" is a good example of well done "epic fantasy." It takes you to new places and exposes you to vivid and exciting characters who perform daring deeds of swashbuckling derring do.
The book is large (around 500 pages) but it moves at a brisk pace and does not bog the reader down while continuing a tale of suspense, adventure and old fashioned fun.
Clifford B. Bowyer's "The Changing Tides" might just be the ticket for fans of swashbuckling epics and authors like Tolkien, Burroughs and others.
Clifford B. Bowyer
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Braksis
Warlord
Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 138
| Posted 4/1/2007 12:50 AM (GMT -4) | | A complex world of memorable characters, scenarios, & action that engage and keep the reader's attention from first page to last
The Changing Tides
Clifford B. Bowyer
Silver Leaf Books
PO Box 6460, Holliston, MA 01746
www.SilverLeafBooks.com
0974435457 $27.95 1-888-823-6450
November 12, 2005
Review by Midwest Book Review
The second volume in Clifford Bowyer's "Fall of the Imperium" trilogy, The Changing Tides continues the story of an ancient tyrant returning to the Seven Kingdoms and those that would have confronted him have been deftly eliminated. Continuing a complex saga begun with "The Impending Storm" (the first volume of the trilogy), Empress Karleena has been abducted, and with her gone the hopes for the unification of the races is dashed. Warlord Brakis has been slain by his past. Admiral Morex, hero of the Imperium is lost at sea. The Madrew elf Kai is sent into a fold in time and space, leaving the one child that could possibly defeat the tyrant alone. The true intentions of Zoldex have yet to be revealed, but it seems that the Imperium is doomed. The Changing Tides finds that only the little band of heroes that include Solara (a mystral warrior sworn to serve and protect Braksis), Thamar (a dwarven hero), and Adonis (the leader of ISIA) who have survived in the aftermath of all these disasters are all that the Seven Kingdoms have to stave off total disaster -- and they each have incredible obstacles they must overcome. Clifford Bowyer writes with originality and imagination, creating a complex world of memorable characters, scenarios, and action that engage and keep the reader's attention from first page to last -- and looking eagerly toward the third and concluding volume of this impressive and enthusiastically recommended heroic fantasy story arc.
Clifford B. Bowyer
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Braksis
Warlord
Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 138
| Posted 4/1/2007 12:51 AM (GMT -4) | | Fall of the Imperium: The Changing Tides
Book Review - Clifford B. Bowyer's The Changing Tides
Review by: Bookwire Book Reviews
Silver Leaf Books, Holliston, MA, $27.95 US, hardcover with dust jacket, (547p)
ISBN: 0974435457
In this sequel to The Impending Storm, Empress Karleena has been kidnapped, and with her disappearance the delicate negotiations to unite the human and non-human races have fallen apart. Even as Imperial Investigator Adonis searches for clues to Karleena's whereabouts, the situation worsens. Winton, pawn of the evil Zoldex, has claimed the throne for his own and is furthering the fragmentation of the Seven Kingdoms. The Imperium has entered its darkest days.
Accused of participating in Karleena's kidnapping, the delegation of dwarves and elves at the unification talks are thrown into prison. The band escapes to the dwarven homeland, only to learn that a huge number of Zoldex's forces are poised to conquer the mountain. Against this background of chaos, the mystral warrior Solara has sworn revenge against the men who murdered her lover, the noble Warlord Braksis. She tracks them across the land, but the rage that threatens to consume her may be her downfall.
The Changing Tides is the second novel in the Fall of the Imperium trilogy, and here author Clifford B. Bowyer picks up where The Impending Storm left off. But the main characters from the first novel are out of the picture−Braksis dead, the Empress kidnapped, and the elf Kai banished by Mages to a fold in time and space−so a host of new characters takes center stage. As in the first novel, the book follows three main adventures as the storylines weave across each other. The mixed band of elves and dwarves are particularly captivating, as they develop from near-strangers to a tightly knit band that battles and grieves together.
It is easier to keep track of the characters here than in the first novel, but those with no knowledge of Bowyer's Imperium universe may find The Changing Tides hard-going. Two of the storylines from the first book are continued here−the unification efforts and the story of Braksis and Solara−but the Chosen One storyline about a young girl poised to save all the races is mentioned only in passing; this is perhaps not surprising as Bowyer has written a separate series about the young Chosen One.
If there is any complaint to be made about Bowyer's writing, it is that his books are sometimes just overwhelming, with too many characters and too many stories to keep track of. His books require concentration and are not light beach-reading fare. But Bowyer's imagination is fertile, and his adventures are rousing. Fans of Fantasy will find much to like in this book and the entire trilogy.
Clifford Bowyer is the author of the Fall of the Imperium saga, as well as The Adventures of Kyria, a series of fantasy books for younger readers. Bowyer lives in Massachusetts.
Clifford B. Bowyer
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