| Title | : | From Chaos Born (In Her Name: The First Empress, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 261 |
| Publication | : | First published March 1, 2012 |
From Chaos Born (In Her Name: The First Empress, #1) Reviews
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Despite the fact that Mr. Hicks says that you can go into this novel not having read any of the previous novels I have to sincerely disagree. Now, do you have to have read all of them? No. But I think having read In Her Name: Empire saved me from being completely confused. There are a lot of cultural references for the Kreela that if you have not read anything before might seem confusing, especially their almost brutal form of life in such an advanced race.
For me this hurt the book none at all. I’ve read something, I understood the culture, and therefore could foam at the mouth as I read further and further. Foaming in enjoyment. Okay, salivating.
The book mostly reads like a very well thought-out prequel. This is the first book in a new trilogy and it shows in an almost marvelous way. Instead of giving us a story and then writing about how it came to pass later, Hicks decides to give us how the story starts and then will move on from there.
To touch on the plot there is an evil queen, good warriors, good priests and acolytes, and a lot of mind-rape, another thing interesting about this society. In the end it comes down to protecting one child. There are a slew of characters, none who you get too much of a feel for other than Ayan-Dar, a bad-ass priest with one arm and an open attitude.
Excellently told to the point you may never guess this was written by an independent author if you did not already know, this story is captivating and keeps the interest of the reader from beginning to end. This is one of those novels that absolutely plot-driven as opposed to character driven. Here’s two things to know about me and my choices and why giving this 4-5 stars is amazing: I typically hate sci-fi, I typically prefer character-driven. While this is less sci-fi than Empire and more in the realm of fantasy, it still touches on it enough that normally I might have cringed. Instead, I’m celebrating, and thinking everyone who enjoys fantasy, sci-fi, or a well told story should read it.
Reasons to Read:
- Better blue aliens than Avatar
- Interesting culture
- Sci-fi/Fantasy fan
- You enjoy trilogies
- You enjoy good books
Reasons Not To Read:
- You can not enjoy a plot-driven novel
- You have not read a previous In Her Name novel
- You can not get in to sci-fi or fantasy on any level -
Rating 4.5 stars
Unlike the other six books in the series I consider
In Her Name: From Chaos Born a fantasy with some elements of sci-fi. The book is packed with action and keeps you hooked from the beginning to the end, but I would have liked to learn more about Kreelan culture (maybe in the next book...). I really liked the fact that Kreelan race was capable of handling advanced technology but they prefer the simple life on the daily basis. -
It had been a long time since I read science fiction, but I decided to expand my reading to new genres and picked up Empire (In Her Name: Redemption, #1) by Michael R. Hicks. I found it to be a wonderful blend of epic fantasy and sci fi.
So read it, loved it, and immediately bought Confederation, and Final Battle.
Michael Hicks created the world of Earth after it had taken to space, having built far-flung, loose colonies that behaved similar to our own nations here on Earth - mistrusting, not necessarily ready to help or support one another, and having fierce differences of opinion.
Humans were not sure they were the only sentient species in the universe and had not given up looking.
I love the characters, which Michael Hicks is a master at creating, a massive number of them as the series progressed, and some wonderful key players such Ichiro Sato.
But the best characters in the series were among the Kreelans, a society whose ideals were so foreign that it was easy to hate them. And yet, the author managed, at a point, to gain my understanding for them and even empathy. Imagine a society of female warriors, whose lives were totally dedicated to battle. And they were so skilled at war that there was no one left anywhere to conquer - they have taken on every sentient society they found and annihilated them.
To die in battle was the ultimate glory to the Empress. So they fought and were happy to die in her name. Until they found the humans, they had the problem of having no more wars to win. So this war-like society was excited to have a new game of war to play with what they felt were somewhat worthy opponents. Even though the humans were Neanderthals when it came to technology. Nor did they have their powerful magical skills. So the Kreelans had to use ancient technology to even the odds. Because if the win was easy, it was not honorable.
You ask, were there only females in this strange society? Well, no. But to tell you about that would be a spoiler.
So we had a clash of two completely different societies - the Kreelans who had terrible powers, and who did not find killing immoral, and the humans who found killing abhorrent but a necessary evil of war - a war in which they were powerless to win.
I was riveted to the entire exciting series. -
Another great book from this author! Solid entry, exitement, battles, but not too much battles. For sci fi and fantasy - fans alike!
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Decided to read the third trilogy in this series next. Seems to me that understanding the Empress and the world she comes from, is vital tounderstanding the true depth of the story. And the second trilogy will have more meaning if I know these things.
With that in mind, there are no humans in this part of the story. This is the beginning of a history lesson in how the Kreelan world came to be as it is during First Contact.
There are powerful players here and a deep spiritual emphasis on the connections to their family and ancestors. Knowing these things brings a new dimention to everything that comes afterward.
But meanwhile, the Kreelans are in the midst of a devastating and brutal civil war. Where one side fights with honor and the other, breaks all the conventions, nothing is held sacred, using any means necessary to acheive the desired results.
I proceed on to Forged in flame. -
Only in Norwegian so far - sorry...
Jeg har ventet i spenning på Hicks' nye Sci-Fi/Fantasy bok i "In Her Name" serien, og glad ble jeg da jeg ble bedt om å editere "From Chaos Born". Boka er den syvende i serien, men i tid utspinner historien seg lenge før første boka "Empire" og veldig lenge før menneskene kom inn i bildet.
Først litt om boka
Kreelan rasen er i konstant og uendelig krig mot hverandre, noe annet liv kjenner de ikke til. Kampene går mellom konger og dronninger om landområder og makt. Den største æren en Kreelan kriger kan oppnå er å dø i ærlig kamp med sverd i hånd.
Kunan-Lohr er kriger, men også overhode for byen Keel A'ar. Hans livsledsager er etter mange års forsøk blitt gravid, og Kunan-Lohr er tillatt tilbake fra slagmarken for å være tilstede ved den store begivenheten. Han er imidlertid ikke en tilfreds mann. Etter den blodtørstige mørke dronningen Syr-Nagath drepte Kunan-Lohr's opprinnelige konge i ærlig kamp og tok tronen selv er krigene blir mye blodigere. Syr-Nagath planlegger nemlig i det skjulte å ødelegge den ærlig krigførende Kreelan rasen og gjenopplive de mørkere sidene av rasens apokalyptiske fortid.
Hva dronningen ikke har forutsett er imidlertid fødselen til Keel-Tath, et Kreelan-barn helt ulikt noe annet. Et barn som var nevnt i en eldgammel profeti. Et barn som er skjebnebestemt til å avdekke kreftene i de gamle ordrene fra svunnen tid og forene Kreelan-rasen en gang for alle.
Min evaluering
Her er Hicks helt tilbake. Øverst oppe på listen over dyktige Sci-Fi/Fantasy forfattere. Akkurat der han hører hjemme. "From Chaos Born" er den første boka i en ny trilogi om Kreelan rasen. Og den er like gripende og malende beskrevet som hans første "In Her Name" trilogi som for alvor fikk øynene mine opp for denne forfatteren. Hicks' unike måte å bygge troverdige verdener og hovedpersoner på gjennomgriper også denne boka og får deg til å ønske å fortsette og lese i det uendelige. Timene flyr forbi mens man er hensatt til en annen tid, et totalt annet sted.
"From Chaos Born" er en skattekiste med et persongalleri som skaper store forventninger til fortsettelsen, en gammel profeti som man foreløpig bare aner konturene av og et krigførende folk som likevel er fulle av medfølelse og kjærlighet. Hicks evner nok engang å dra meg inn i hans egen verden, og jeg ønsker å bli. Man blir som fortrollet av krigere og dronninger, munker og dramatiske hendelser som beveger seg i kulissene. Språket er utrolig flytende og malerisk og tenderer mot "gammel-engelsk" (i mangel av et bedre ord) i beskrivelsen av gamle profetier og munkeordener. Hicks beveger seg lekende lett mellom eldgammel tid og nåtid og fletter sammen en intrikat historie som likevel er lett å følge.
Igjen, er du en elsker av Fantasy så må denne forfatteren leses. Han er fullstendig på høyde med de aller, aller beste. Og der ser det ut som han har tenkt å bli. Og takk for det :-) Jeg sitter allerede og spinner og venter på neste boka i trilogien. Denne gang kan ikke Hicks skrive fort nok for meg...
Min rating
En klokkeklar 5 av 5 -
The In Her Name series continues with a new trilogy, the first book of which is "From Chaos Born". The story takes place thousands of generations in the past when the Kreelan people were still fragmented and their society living through cycles of death and rebirth as technology outpaced their social development.
Without giving too much away the events in the book expand upon the histories of the Desh-Ka priesthood and the Kreelan Empress as told in the previous six novels and we begin in the time before the one that was to unite the people was born, the nations/regions are involved in a global war led by a Dark Queen who had appeared out of nowhere and slew all who challenged her. Prophecies from the fallen second age of the Kreelan people foretold of one that would be born with white hair and red talons who would bring together the people and ultimately curse them and it is such a child that is born to Ulana-Tath and Kunan-Lohr of the city state Keel-A'ar. The Dark Queen Syr-Nagath has her own secrets and destiny and sees the child as the ultimate threat to her plans and her actions to remove this threat drive the story and the epic battles and struggles which follow.
From Chaos Born is a much faster paced story then those that preceded it although that may have more to do with the detail and scope required when dealing with one on one conflicts and ground battles rather than space based combat. That is certainly not a negative though, with a slightly smaller pool of characters and events the dialogue and emotional/logical reasoning of the characters is every bit as compelling and you accept the fact that there are no humans in this story as the lives and deaths strike at the core of what we regard as being human.
The question is often asked, what does the individual believe and is right or wrong and how will they act on that belief and it's the tragedy of this world that the people's honour and loyalty has been given to one not worthy who has her eyes not only on this world but all the worlds in the skies and the slaughter of an innocent is nothing but one step in the process.
A purchase of "From Chaos Burn" is a no brainer for anyone who got the slightest bit of pleasure from the previous books and it's not that bad a place to start if you are new to the world Michael R Hicks has created. -
From Chaos Born is the first book in the third trilogy that Michael R. Hicks has done in the In Her Name series and is a prequel that takes us back to the time of the first empress of the Kreelan civilization to observe the beginning of the changes to the Kreelan culture and honor system that will eventually lead them to human space far in the future. I really enjoyed it and it was interesting to see the societal struggles that this race faced as it was developing and reaching for the stars in an endless cycle of destruction. Syr-Nagath, the Dark Queen, is truly a brutal character with no redeeming qualities as far as I could tell. Of course, though, in its slanted way this story is about good trying to triumph over evil as has been the rest of the series. This is a story of hope for an embattled people who have carried on for generations watching their civilization rise and fall. In Keel-Tath there is hope and prophecies of greatness as well as warnings of dire events to come. Since this is a beginning to a story that we've already witnessed in the current books of this series I was really glad to see that it didn't founder and the storytelling was as strong and imaginative as in the previous books. Can't wait to read the next one when it comes out.
This review originally posted at
http://tjsbookblog.blogspot.com/ -
I really enjoyed 'From Chaos Born'. It's dark, it's raw, and it's ruthless in its depiction of the beginnings of the Kreelan Empire. Its a precursor to Author Michael Hicks's other works, but released afterwards - so more like a prequel of sorts, or better yet a primer on what to expect in the other books. The characters are put together well, and not having read the other works, I felt the plot was engaging.
As anyone that has read my reviews knows, I am a stickler for what I call 'polish' on a novel. And especially so on Indie works, as I feel this is the major complaint that most make when judging Indies vs. Traditionally Published works (Trads). But this one is polished very well, and that leads to a nice, even read. About the only thing I could find that stuck out to me as I read, and this is so minor that it barely needs listing, is the author's use of the term 'flick' in reference to what the characters do to clean the blood from their swords. E.g. 'he flicked the blood from his blade' - it was said quite a bit throughout the text, and the more that I saw it, the more it interrupted the flow. But again, nothing major, and I didn't deduct anything in the rating for it.
An excellent work for anyone into Epic Fantasy! -
From the first page until the last page, From Chaos Born (The First Empress, Book 1) (In Her Name 9) by Michael R. Hicks, grabbed me by the seat of my pants and would not let me go. This action packed, sci-fi book will take your breath away.
The author did an excellent job of developing a storyline that was realistic and fast paced. It was full of plot twist and turns which kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next. I really liked the author's style of storytelling, it made the tale come to life.
Michael R. Hicks did an excellent job of creating his characters. They were both realistic and easy to identify with. Even though they were very alien I found them easy to follow. Again the author's style of storytelling created this world and its characters to be believable and relatable.
I totally enjoyed From Chaos Born * The First Empress, Book 1) by Michael R. Hicks. It is an excellent book and I highly recommend it to all readers. -
From Chaos Born is the first in the In Her Name: The First Empress Series by Michael R. Hicks. Written after the other books in the series, it describes the rise of the Dark Queen, Syr-Nagath. As she goes about conquering her Homeworld, Kunan-Lohr, a great warrior and master of the city Keel-A'ar asks for permission to go on leave from battle to return home for the birth of his child. Syr-Nagath only grants him permission if he agrees to mate with her.
When his daughter, Keel-Tath is born, she is different from others of her kind, and some believe she is the child prophesied to unite her race. For this reason, the Dark Queen cannot let the child live. Will she be saved?
This is a good read and introduction to the later books in the series. It describes the alien world and its customs, making it easier to understand the Keelans when they come to battle earth. If you enjoy reading about alien worlds, or fast-paced stories with a great plot, you will enjoy this book. -
"In Her Name: From Chaos Born" has proven to be another great read from Michael Hicks. I found the background information to the other books in the series to be flawless and meshed perfectly into the story line. Having the beginning of a story line presented towards the end of a series (just in case other books are written) seemed odd at first glance, however I found that the books I had already read made understanding this one much easier. If this had been presented at the first of the series it might not have been as cognizant as I found it to be.
If you have read any of the "In Her Name" series I highly recommend reading the remaining books and ensure that "From Chaos Born" is in the queue. A very enjoyable read for all ages of the science fiction reader.
I look forward to more enjoyable reading of books authored by Michael Hicks. -
Though I gave this five stars, I do have to say I didn't like this quite as much as the In Her Name Redemption series, but that could just be because after being blown away by Redemption, my expectations were REALLY high. But not to fear, this first book in The First Empress delivers. I love that he explores the different key times in his worlds history, each series has such a different feel, yet it is all tied together by an overlying story. All the characters are amazing, be they Kreelan or Human, it's impossible for me not to become completely invested in their lives and conflicts. I wish I hadn't waited so long to write a review so I could remember more, but I remember enough to say it was awesome!
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With this book, if it wasn't for the author's engaging style of writing, it would would have ended up on my abandoned pile. There were many things that really bugged me. For instance, here we have an alien race capable of interstellar travel, yet on their planet they travel around on the backs of animals without the use of the wheel (and every time these beasts are mentioned, they are being ridden to death). But what I hated most of all was that this book ended in such a way that you know there is to be a follow-up book (a sequel to the prequel).
It is a shortish book (4500 Kindle locations), and of that, 6% is devoted to advertising. -
Another winner! Once again Michael Hicks has transported me to the Kreelan world and created characters that I understood and cared about, and enemies that I wanted to throttle. This is book seven, of the In Her Name series but takes us back thousands of years to a time before Kreelans and humans interacted. The story chronicles the birth of Keel-Tath, a child of prophecy and destined to be a powerful ruler of her world, and of those who want her destroyed. I read this in two days and I highly recommend this book.
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Got the first book free from Amazon, and after I finished, I immediately bought the second.
A (non-human) warrior race that thrives on war and destruction has defined a "Way," that they may pursue the lusts that drive them and not accomplish their extinction as species. But then something happens that changes everything!
Bhahaha. Anyways, if you enjoy sci-fi or fantasy, read this. The author is so sure you'll like it he offers the first book of each of his series for free. (If you can't find it, check his website.) -
Michael R. Hicks continues to develop his Kreelan back story, this time delving into the beginning of new timeline in which women are the only functioning members of society. This traces back to the birth of Keel-Tath and the uprising of the Dark Queen, whose only apparent desire is the destruction and reconstruction of her race. The key figure is a one-armed priest who follows his own advice despite the consequences. Definite must-read for the In Her Name fan.
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After finishing the previous trilogy, I didn't think I had any interest in reading this last trilogy. However, the book was free and I figured I had nothing to lose by reading it (other than time). I'm happy to say that I'm glad I did read it. Like all of the others, the name game can be challenging, but the story is well written. I found it difficult to put down, there's always something going on to keep you attentive and wanting more. I'm really looking forward to finishing the series.
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I resent switching to e-readers, but since being disabled with more time than money on my hands, I read a lot of free books through bookpub. I am a sci fi fan who tends to stick to hard science. Michael Hicks From Chaos Born and his other Book Ones in the Kreelan/Empress series opened my mind. I read the first in each series, bought a Kindle, joined his email list, and bought the nest two books in the First Empress set and will be buying the other two series soon.
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Another great book from Mr Hicks, the seventh book in the "In her name" series, the story jumps back a few thousand years to tell the story of Keel-Tath and the founding of the Kreelan Empire, this book is more fantasy than Sci-Fi, but still a great read, for anyone who likes Science fiction this is a must.
The book can be read as a stand alone, but i'd recommend reading the rest of the books first, one of the best stories I've read. -
I started this book last night about 8:30, and then just kept on reading until I finished. Loved it!
Michael Hicks had a wonderful ability to suck you right into the story, to where you just keep turning the pages to find out what will happen next.
I can't wait for the next book in this series to be released!
