Fallen

Tales of Noreela #3

by Tim Lebbon

From award-winning author Tim Lebbon comes this harrowing tale of an epic journey, crossing the forbidden boundary separating us from all we fear the most.…
To the unknown corners of Noreela, the Voyagers have traveled, returning with fantastic tales of their journeys and discoveries. But no one has ever returned from the Great a sheer cliff soaring miles above the clouds and rumored to be the end of the world. Until now.

Voyagers Nomi Hyden and Ramus Rheel would be mortal enemies if their lives and fates weren’t so closely entwined. But now the unlikely pair are brought together for what will be their greatest—and perhaps final—journey. When a grim wanderer named Ten arrives with an ancient parchment he claims to have brought back from the Divide, its arcane glyphs hint at the existence of a realm most consider a myth...and at something amazing sleeping there.

Accompanied by the warrior Beko and his band of armed Serians, Nomi and Ramus set out to discover the truth behind the legends. But soon ambition drives them apart, this epic Voyage becomes a race...and each Voyager is faced with a choice that may alter the history of Noreela forever.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural

413 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

I love writing, reading, triathlon, real ale, chocolate, good movies, occasional bad movies, and cake.

I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.

I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.

I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.

A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.

I'd love to hear from you!

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

I am a huge Tim Lebbon fan. Not only is he a great horror Author, with this book he has proven to me that he can write amazing dark fantasy. I really enjoyed the Dusk/Dawn duology, and as a result wanted to seek out more from Lebbon. This book is set in the same world as the duology, only it takes place more than one thousand years earlier. Fallen is similar in that it is a dark and adult oriented fantasy that is not really suitable for the young adult crowd.

The plot of this book is a simple adventure of two "Voyageurs". Ramus and Nomi are competing adventurers, both trying to make themselves famous. Ramus is the learned one, the educated one, who is more interested in learning and making his legacy famous than he is in material possessions and riches. Nomi uses here voyaging to find and exploit treasures, to get rich, and to be famous. Each envy the other for they look on the world through such different points of view. Their relationship was one of love, hate, competition, and understanding. A long past filled with many crossings and cooperation has led these two down a path of hidden feelings and emotions. Although, they never do get romantically involved, they both clearly feel for each other. Lebbon let us the reader see this dynamic relation through both a positive view, and also one of poison.

   ""It's almost like we are the same person, "Nomi said , trying to move the conversation 
    back around to where it had been heading originally, even though part of her truly wanted 
    it to stay there. "We are friends like brother and sister are friends. Intense, but warring. 
    Loving, but sometimes we get so angry at each other that…"she trailed off, not sure how 
    to   translate her thoughts into words."

The story is straight forward, an adventure to reach the Great Divide, to scale it, and to be the first to live to tell about it. Add in the awesome horror elements...would you awaken a sleeping fallen God?, and you have a dark quest that is a lot of fun to read. Lebbon's world is raw and scary and filled with cool details, creatures, and places. 

There are many strong themes that permeate this book and fill it with both good and wonder, but also with evil, selfishness, and betrayal.

The pacing is not for everyone. Lebbon shows his roots in horror by making things slowly smolder. The tension ramps up as the story moves forward, but never really comes to head until nearly three quarters of the way in. Plot twists set the final portion of the book off with great speed and tension. The ending is simply marvelous and it fully realizes the potential set forth from the beginning.

This novel is a great place to start reading Tim Lebbon. After this one than you can go on to Dusk and Dawn. If you like adult oriented fantasy/horror,  filled with graphic violence, sex, deep meanings, and are not afraid of things not ending up sweet and rosy, than Lebbon should not be missed by you...My highest recommendations. One of my favorite reads in 2012.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Award-winning writer Tim Lebbon’s latest visit to the world of Noreela (his fourth novel) is an interesting one, in that, like the recent After the War, it is a prequel to the best selling books DAWN and DUSK.



It is also a different style of novel to DUSK/DAWN, being a Fantasy quest-archaeological novel – a sort of Indiana Jones meets The Twilight Zone type story. In my opinion, it’s gripping stuff.



The story’s pretty straightforward – in the earlier expansionist days of Noreela, a discovery of map extracts and legends of untold treasure lead to two close friends - Ramus Rheel, an aging explorer battling cancer, and Nomi Hyden, a younger rival - taking an expedition to the mysterious Great Divide – a massive cliff, Jurassic Park style, which has never (in recent memory) been scaled – and, despite a number of frankly worrying precursors, the expedition sets off well.



Unfortunately tensions between the two leads (and a pretty flabbergasting revelation on the part of one of the characters) mean that the expedition soon divides, with each then racing the other to the anticipated prize. However, as in the best action novels, what they discover should perhaps have been left undisturbed – the awakening of a legendary Sleeping God whose re-emergence has consequences for the whole of Noreela…



What makes this such a rollicking read is not only the plot – a fast-moving story, laced with action, a smattering of sex and a very pleasant sense of wonder – but also the way that Tim has used his obvious writing skills to produce a damn good yarn. What is further interesting is that to my mind, though DAWN was good, this is a much more consistent novel. Though the story has a broad scale, it concentrates on a relatively small cast of participants, with some nicely developed characters that as the story progresses the reader slowly begins to care about. What Tim has been able to do here is spend less time is on world-building and more on characterisation, focusing on the two explorers and their Serian expedition guides.



I’m pleased to say I read the first 100 pages in pretty much one go, and then following that fine tradition of ‘read-it-or-dump-it’ I was hooked.



If I’m looking for criticism, then some may find that in places the developed characterisation can still be a little wobbly and the situations can be a little unrealistic – would an expedition, arranged at great expense, really break up in less than two days? - I guess stranger things can happen. In contrast, the pace of the journey can be seen as a little slow for some - there is a lot of journey here - yet in the book’s defense, it is a measured pace, in that such a progression allows a sense of unease to build that Tim constructs from the beginning. This is clearly a skill from his horror background which is used to good effect here, building on that until the scary climax.



The ending is everything you thought it could horrifically be. Suffice it to say there’s not much remaining at the end. Despite the Indiana overtones mentioned earlier, this is definitely not a book for younger readers.



All in all, for the uninitiated, this is a good place perhaps to start your view of Noreela. For those who’ve visited before, in my opinion, this is the best yet. I actually think that Fallen could be a ‘best kept secret’ - one that eventually will be seen in the future as very cool to have been ‘in at’ in the beginning. It’s not only that we’ve read it, but it’s pretty good when we find ‘a goodie’ first and can tell others about it.



This, in my opinion, is one.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across Fallen by Tim Lebbon pretty randomly, just browsing the 'new release' section at my local library. I was sort of between books, in that the three I had been reading off and on for a while had lost my interest and the book I had put on hold hadn't come in yet, so I decided to check it out and give it a read. Fallen is a stand-alone book, and something of a prequel to Lebbon's Dusk and Dawn. Although all three are set in the world of Noreela, the events in Fallen take place long before the other two (to the tune of 1000-4000 years, not sure exactly).

Fallen follows Ramus and Nomi, a pair of rival explorers with a very love-hate sort of relationship, as they embark upon the greatest voyage of their lives. At the southern edge of Noreela stands The Great Divide, a cliff face so high that it is eclipsed by clouds. It is a looming barrier that no one has ever crossed--or at least no one has ever returned from trying to cross, until a mysterious wanderer appears with pages containing cryptic writing that supposedly comes from beyond the Divide. Although their reasons are very different, it is a challenge that neither Ramus nor Nomi can refuse. But what begins as a joint venture soon becomes a race across a treacherous landscape as each Voyager strives to beat the other to the top and beyond.

While this might sound like pretty standard fantasy fare, this book is something of an anomaly. It's pretty dark and has some pretty classic horror elements. Although not a lot of time is given to world building, Noreela is quickly established as a pretty darn scary place. Venturing out into the wilds is dangerous, and it seems like every other page the group is encountering a deadly new plant, creature or band of murderous cannibalistic human marauders. This is a world where a darkening sky could mean a coming rain storm or a of swarm of insects, snakes or lizards carried on the wind to rain down from above. When things turn violent, people die... messily. It's horrifying and tragic to watch (so to speak) a well-developed character get dismembered, beheaded, and dropped off a cliff. But I have to give the guy a nod for being willing to do it.

The characters in this book are pretty well developed, but for the two main characters (Ramus and Nomi) the more they are developed the less I sympathize with them. They have a past, and it isn't a very pretty one. They've both done terrible things to one another, and it makes their hired Serian bodyguards much more sympathetic--which is a shame because they're basically the "red shirts" of the story.

I really enjoyed reading most of this book, and thought for sure I was going to be able to give it a four or even five paw rating. Unfortunately, the ending fell a bit short. I didn't much care for the final confrontation with the 'big bad' and the results were pretty confusing and left a lot of questions unanswered. On top of that, I had to re-read a few pages twice because it just wasn't clear what the author was 'getting at'. In the end, I still think that it had the potential to be an awesome book and instead ended up just being OK. I will probably give Dusk a read because I like the style of Lebbon's writing and I'm willing to give him another chance. His chapters are long, but they're split up into sections small enough that it's easy to find a pause point. His characters are interesting and come to life easily, and his descriptions (other than a few notable exceptions) make it easy to visualize the events as they unfold--which can be both a good and bad thing, when you consider the horror elements of his writing. *shiver*

[Ti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich habe selten die Protagonisten eines Fantasy-Romans so unsympathisch gefunden. Nomi und Ramus sind nicht komplex, sondern arschig. Viele ihrer Handlungen für mich nicht nachvollziehbar. Das Gegenteil von spannend. Ein paar Nebencharas sind ansatzweise interessant. Aber die sterben oder verschwinden alle, sobald der Autor mit ihnen nichts mehr anzufangen weiß.

Danach hatte ich tatsächlich Probleme, das Buch noch zu Ende zu lesen, obwohl es wirklich kein Wälzer ist. Nomi und Ramus waren mir total egal. Da war keinerlei Spannung mehr, weil ich über wirklich Alles, was ihnen passieren hätte können, nur mit den Schultern gezuckt hätte. Geschieht ihnen Recht!

Ein paar Details der Welt sind ganz cool. Aber sie wirken, wie Alles in Fallen, nicht ausgearbeitet. Manches ist unglaubwürdig. Selbst der Horror wird eher angedeutet. Soviel passiert in Fallen gar nicht.

Logikfehler sind auch vorhanden. Spoilerfreies Beispiel: Nomi wird anfangs als visuell denkend beschrieben, sie liebt Karten. Später wird diese Eigenschaft Ramus zugesprochen und Nomi jede Vorstellungskraft abgesprochen. Ich glaub, da ist jemand mit seinen Charakterskizzen durcheinander gekommen. Selbst dem Autor sind die Protagonisten so fremd, so egal, dass er einfach mal ihre Traits verwechselt hat.

Wirklich nicht gut. Dabei find ich die Kombi Fantasy/Horror manchmal ganz geil. Clive Barker kann das zum Beispiel. Imajica fand ich ziemlich gut. Stephen King kann es ebenfalls. Gibt sicher noch mehr. Tim Lebbon kann es (zumindest in Fallen) leider nicht.

[Kevin Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has sat on my shelves for 15 years. I took it to accompany me on a 10 hour train journey through Ukraine and now wonder why I had left this so long.
Fantastic read, couldn’t rate it any higher. It drew me in wanting to read more. I guess I was slightly disappointed at the ending but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.

[Traummachine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars:

This is set in a distant past of the other 3 Noreela books, where the known world is small, superstition abounds, and a huge physical barrier separates the northern tip of the continent from the rest. Our heroes have no idea what lies at the top of the miles-high cliff face, but they have a map...

The book starts a little slowly, but Lebbon spends this time developing the complex relationships of the group. He does a great job, especially for an author who primarily writes horror. As the journey progresses members of the group become lovers or friends, mourn when a comrade falls, betray and kill one another. Sometimes a single relationship can span both extremes, and Lebbon does a great job developing these changes in attitudes.

Unlike the prior Noreela stories, the living machines are absent here, but the new horrific creatures more than make up for it. This is dark fantasy, so let the unjaded beware.

This is a solid entry in the Noreela tales, and I'm looking forward to The Island.

[Rodolfo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. So far this is my favorite Lebbon book. I like Dusk/Dawn, but this is the one I liked best. Even better than Berserk. This book made me want to know more about Noreela and the people/Gods that live there. The whole book is tragic. There arent really any hero's. Just people. I like that. There isnt really anyone in the book that you would want to be. If you were you would have to take the good with the bad and their is plenty of bad for each charter.

I want more stories of Noreela! On to "the Island".

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me. I could not engage with the writing style. I gave up after a few chapters.

[Kasey Camfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great dark fantasy. Excellent prose. Fantastic world building— what could be more exciting than a fledgling society discovering its vast country? The overall story was solid, and I was hooked from the first page. The allure of uncharted territory and the rumor of a fallen God attracted me.

I’d rate this book more of a 3.5 stars, despite all of that. The characters themselves soiled an otherwise great story.

There is considerable emphasis placed on developing a vague interpersonal history and romantic tension between the two main characters, Nomi and Ramus. We don’t see any of what has transpired between them, not even in flashbacks. Their past is referenced in narration. That is disappointing in itself.

The pair of voyagers swept up in this epic journey are very unlikable. I still don’t know if this was the author’s intention. They suffer horrific fates, and by the end of the book, I felt as if their ends were well justified. I would accept that we are meant to root against these characters. But during the first third of the book, the voyagers travel unimpeded, encountering really nothing of consequence. All that happens is they ride a bit, make camp, then suffer through private and separate anguish wondering what the other character might be feeling. It reads like a romance. I half expected to find the familiar track of a romance fiction.

So all this time is spent developing these characters and their conflict. The result? There is literally no resolution to their angst. I take that back: on one of the last few pages, Nomi says to Ramus, “I’m sorry.” And he laughs and moves on. She is essentially apologizing for cursing him to his death, by the way. That is the entirety of their conflict’s resolution.

Along the way, their Serian warrior accompaniment dies one by one. The warriors are fascinating, but we are not granted much insight into their characters. They seem like inherently good people, and to see them all fall by the arrogance of Nomi and Ramus is quite tragic. I have no issue with their deaths: that’s a part of the sub genre. But I wish we had seen a little more of these people. Their deaths might’ve packed a little more punch had we known more.

I’m frustrated that such a fantastic piece of fiction is sullied with such bad characters and bad character story. I will read the other Noreela series to explore this interesting land, with the relieving knowledge that Nomi and Ramus will not be along for the ride.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that starts with the glory and joy of exploration, then turns into a dark fantasy version of Heart of Darkness mixed with a morality tale of bewaring what you look for. A good read, although some aspects were a bit excessive in the defining of Ramus and Nomi's relationship.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a bit of a plodder. The first Lebbon book I've been disappointed with. It had a pretty good finish, though.

[Caleb Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice mix of weird fantasy and sublime horror I'm always on the lookout for. I think I liked it more than Dusk and Dawn, though it's been a while since I read those.

[Hashem · Rating 3 out of 5]

good concept and atmosphere, my first time reading horror leaning fantasy, and i liked the genre, this novel itself though was just... okay? I guess, i didn't feel like it was anything special tbh

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's dark and gritty and mysterious, exactly what it said it would be. A quote on the back cover said "If there was ever a natural successor to HP Lovecraft, Tim Lebbon has to be it." and I could certainly see the Lovecraftian influences coming through.

But I can only rate it three stars. The characters were great, diverse, mysterious, and their complex relationships and histories made for interesting. The general plot line was easy enough to follow - a group of people venturing to 'The Great Divide', which to them signifies the end of the world - but of course things don't go as planned. It was a gripping narrative, and after a bit of a slow start, I was drawn into the world of Noreela and engaged in the plot.

But it didn't quite have that 'wow' factor, and even though I enjoyed what I read, I found it easy to put down, and when I wasn't reading I also wasn't really wondering what would happen next, or eagerly awaiting the moment when I could sit down and finish reading.

So with about 50 pages to go, I thought I would give this book a four. Then I read the ending.

Sure, I hadn't expected an happily ever after, with everyone riding off into the sunset together, and the dark and hopeless ending fits in well with the course of the book, and its Lovecraftian roots. But I found it too depressing, too hopeless - there wasn't a single silver lining in how it ended, and I can't see a single character living out the rest of their lives in anything but misery and despair. It was rather abrupt, and I can see several ways it could have been tweaked just a little to make it a little more satisfying. Overall, I think it lacked closure.

But it's still a good book, and if you're into Lovecraftian horror, than this is definitely the book for you.

[Alan Baxter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very well-written and engaging dark fantasy. Great setting, good world-building and pretty solid characters. For the most part I really enjoyed, but a few niggles knock this down to a three star book. I would give it two and a half if I could.

For example, there was a distinct over-emphasis on what the party ate on their travels with a strange obsession with herbs and spices. More fine detail in the world-building, perhaps, but it struck me as out of place.

But the real problem for me was the ending. After a great build-up and an excellent journey narrative, the ending seemed faintly ridiculous and left us with more questions than it answered. Of course, we don't need all the questions answered, but SPOILER ALERT!

Why did the god run off with Nomi? Why did it kill Sorlon but leave Ramus alive? Where was it going? What was it anyway!? After all the effort that went into the story, the last twenty pages or so were mystifying.

Oh, and lastly, the whole climbing the Great Divide thing would have been excellent if Lebbon didn't keep referring to characters hammering crampons into the rock face to tie their ropes to. Crampons are spiky accessories for boots for ice-climbing!

Still, all that aside, it's a good read and very well-written. The ending is a let down, but the rest of the book was a gripping read and lots of pretty cool stuff happened along the way.

[Sandy Lender · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the fantasy novel Fallen, Tim Lebbon tells a great story that I felt compelled to keep reading long after I'd grown unhappy with the characters. To be honest, I wanted them all to die. Unfortunately, that would have left no one to propel a truly interesting story forward. And Lebbon is such a good story-teller that I wanted to see how Fallen would end. A group of money-driven and fame-driven characters go through an intricate and detailed journey in a world of dangers and double-crossers to get to their goal. I don't want to give it away, but the ending came a little quickly. The good news is I felt one of the characters got exactly what she deserved. Kudos for Lebbon.

From Fantasy Author Sandy Lender

[Sylvia Marquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lebbon has this way of making you feel like you can see and smell what the characters are experiencing. I met huge insects, birds resembling bats, and as big as people. Friends who are no worse than enemies. This book is full of mythical creatures that you must meet for yourself to get a feel for this land. I imagined the soldiers hired to accompany the voyagers looked somewhat like they stepped out of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, minus the road/flying vehicles. Events occurred in ways that you would have not expected, which makes it that much more interesting. The ending too has an unexpected outcome. Makes me want to go out and buy the other books linked to that particular world.

This was such a great read. I could not put it down which is why I consumed it in 2 days.

[Pavlo Tverdokhlib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another solid entry into the Noreela world.

The story takes place way before the events of "Dusk". it sheds some light onto one of the places in "Dusk-Dawn" is as important as it is.

The book has pretty good pacing. Lebbon's description of the weird, dark and dangerous world of Noreela is superb as always. The plot starts out as a very typical questing story, but it very quickly takes a much darker turn. The characters, whose history and motivations are revealed slowly, are all kids of messed up, which makes the story absolutely fascinating. And Lebbon throws in some really tense moments, and some moments of epic fighting as well.

strongly recommended to those who like their journey fantasy dark.

[Richard Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third Noreela book, I think, set a considerable time before the Dusk/Dawn duology. I had a mixed experience with that story, but not this one - it's a fantastic, thrilling story. Lebbon has firmly established his world of Noreela now, and feels a lot more comfortable. It feels like a place, where before it felt like an impressive invention, and the warring explorers Nomi and Ramus are a gripping pair as they race for the greatest, most terrifying discovery in their world's history. Their rivalry plays the quest theme out in more sophisticated ways than the usual quest yarn, and the conclusion is fitting, impressive, and horrifying. Brilliant stuff.

[Lorinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remus is a voyager,(explorer, adventurer, mapmaker and scholar) he also has a sickness growing in his head and has been told it will kill him. His friend Nomi and fellow voyager has asked him to partner her in the greatest voyage imaginable, to the Great Divide. Here follows a story of unrequited love, friendship, betrayal,competition, tragedy and pain.
I liked this story as a bit of a change from recent diet of mostly YA. This is a much more grown up story demonstrating the worst in humankind and the likelyhood of more disasterous consequences of the choices made. Definately not a "happy ending" kind of book, but enjoyable all the same.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two explorers in an iron-age level society (one of them can't read!) gather a group of warriors and go seeking to climb an unclimbable cliff of legend. They find more than they bargain for, and that's even before they get to the base of the thing.

This was a surprisingly tense book for something so apparently light. It lost its way a little at around the 3/4 mark, but up til then it was solid indeed. The two main characters (and the secondary warriors) are starkly drawn with much hinted at rather than exposed, which is nice.

Rated M for violence, sex, evil magics and vertigo. 4/5

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll write a better review on the computer; I'm currently on the phone app. I thoroughly enjoyed Fallen, although the end was very abrupt and I felt empty once it was over. I definitely want more, despite the questionable plausibility of some actions; it's fiction, so I allow some implausibility within actions. That's what makes fiction fun after all. I'll definitely be looking for more Tim Lebbon works!

[Jeanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author's writing style was easy to read and engaging and that's about the only nice thing I have to say. His characters were flat and uninteresting....and the ending. Wow, the ending. Just couldn't do any better than that? Really? I'd look for the monkeys with typewriters for a spot of help next time. If I could give this book negative stars, I would.

[Nhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this books many years ago when I was still a teenager, and I remembered liking it. The story started out fine, typical heroes on a quest, then when they got to their destination, it got really weird. The ending is utterly disappointing and I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be the first book in a trilogy, but needless to say I was very underwhelmed. 5/10

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read from about the 30%-mark forward, but certainly not a must-read. Definitely borrows heavily from a *very* specific genre, but to reveal anything more specific would ruin the payoff. The book's strongest sections involve an early interpersonal conflict which motivates the two leads and the perils of a very long ascent.

[William Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Voyagers" are people who visit new, rarely visited, or undiscovered lands. They have a personal compulsion to go exploring.

Nobody comes back from the Great Divide, so two voyagers go to investigate with a team of warriors.

Along the way, we learn about their relationship, what is at the Great Divide, and remnants of a long forgotten ancient history.

Deception is a theme in this story.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published 2008. Right up until the ending I thought it was a pretty decent novel. The characters are well written and the author's style conducive to easy reading. Lost me at the conclusion though. I felt it didn't do the rest of the story justice. There are other novels in the Nareela series as this is actually fourth out of five. Haven't decided if I want to try any of the others.

[Kelly Flanagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book.I really enjoyed the premise of the story.This is the first book by Tim Lebbon I have read, but I doubt the last. I enjoyed his writing style, and his characters are full and easily believable.

[Linda Kimpton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. Original, intriguing, epic. Lebbon creates an entire world, cultures, their histories and beliefs, and makes you care about what happens to his multidimensional characters. It's the first book I've read by Tim Lebbon, it will not be the last.

[Liesl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was definitely different and took me longer than normal to read. To use my daughter's term - meh. Didn't really dislike it, but certainly didn't love it either.