Dale was stranded... and around him he gathered the flotsam and jetsam outcasts of a doomed world in deadly peril, becoming it's last desperate defender. The gathering of this group of defenders is the essence of this panoramic novel. It is a novel of the journey of a technologically advanced hero stranded on a world steeped in magic, and the people he gathers along the way-technology made to control reality and magic that would not be controlled. It’s about people with strong personalities thrown into conflict and held together by the will of one man, a man with a cause, to save a world. What readers are saying: A unique, creative blend of science and technology with fantasy and magic!, September 6, 2007 - Paul Weiss Paul Weiss, a highly respected reviewer posted an exceptionaly well written review of Wizard's Bane on Amazon.com. It would be unfair to quote only a portion of Paul's review, so please take a moment to visit Amazon and read the entire thing, then be sure to vote if you found it helpful. We did, we hope you will too. Wizard’s Bane**** By: Crystalwizard Wizard’s Bane is an adventurous tale embodying classic fantasy and sci-fi elements that lure the imagination into a seemingly familiar world. The book chronicles the journey of six unlikely friends: two space cronies a couple thousand years old, a failed wizard but accomplished beast master, a young hoodlum, a cowardly healer, and a prince wannabe thug. They begin their sojourn to the city of wizards and encounter dangerous and mystical foes along the way. With each challenge, new talents are discovered and the bonds of friendship tighten. The characters are very likable and easy to relate to. The frank visual imagery and easy writing style draws one into the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My only disappointment is that I have to wait for book two. Violette L. Reid - PeachPublishing editor, www.VioletteReid.com WIZARDS BANE – Book one of the Sojurn Chronicles, is a novel of boundless imagination, wonderful characters, and fast paced action that can be compared with the Shadow Trilogy by Chris Claremont and George Lucas and the daring days of “classic” fantasy. Ray McLester - 3D Artist, 3DCommune.com Amazing, truly captivating The Phoenix - Writing.com How does it feel to materialize onto a dump of garbage and not know where you are? Ask Dale and discover that this world is not as it seems and that he has a path self discovery and personal development of epic proportions. Rarely have I read a story that brings the elements of adventure, fantasy and science fiction into a fast-paced adventure and a very enjoyable story. After reading the first four paragraphs of Wizard's Bane, I could not put the book down. Crystalwizard has built a world where believing that nothing is impossible will change your present universe. Not since George Luca's Star Wars has there been a story that mixes many genres into a glorious tale. The story flows so easily that you will be impatient for the next book in the Sojourn Chroncles. Sit and read YOUR next big adventure! Raymond Wilson - Aix Technical Specialist Crystalwizard weaves a tangible, rich tapestry of magic and life lessons within her spellbinding Sojurn Chronicles. From the first few pages of Wizard's Bane, you are effortlessly drawn into an enchanted tale keeping you engrossed with every twist and turn of each character’s journey. The characters are well rounded with just the right humanity and character flaws to entice the reader to truly care about them. Be prepared to burn the midnight oil as this riveting story keeps you thoroughly engrossed while wanting more! Arianna -Producer/Production Manager Oh wow Kelly... I am really impressed! I like this and I am SOOO intrigued! One of the things that makes me want to read a book is if it grabs me from the start. If it doesn't get my attention real quick I form an opinion and alot of times put it down. This grabbed me right from the start... I would LOVE to read more... this is great! Gail - Artist and Vendor, 3dcommune.com Congratulations on the book Kelly. I got mine a few days ago. The first thing I noticed was the quality of the book. Not long ago I went out to buy the Life of Pi by Yann Martel and the bookbinding was so bad that I decided to wait until the second printing to buy it. The printing and binding on Wizard's Bane is very well done. It's all high quality from the paper to the way the edges are cut. It will last me forever. Ray Hi Kelly, I finished reading your book "Wizard's Bane" and am ready to buy book 2! I must admit I was a bit skeptical when I purchased your book since I didn't know anything about you as a writer. But it turned out to be a good story that is well-written. A few thoughts: Character Development: I liked that the characters continue to develop and become more complex throughout the story. Their abilities are also revealed by dialog and action rather than description, which I prefer. There is depth and history to the main characters that is slowly revealed (e.g., Dale). One that is showing particular promise is Aerline. The "fellowship" comes across as a complementary mix like in a role playing game. Tempo: Starts a bit slow but continues to pick up the pace throughout the book. I like how additional people join the quest - seemed natural. At one point, I started thinking "another chapter, another problem" and then you changed the pace and the incident (Dale's hunting the horses) appears to end without issue. Not so, as the problem shows up in the next chapter, but it broke the pattern which was good. Magical Creatures: They fit right in and didn't come across as artificial. I especially liked the Unicorn's gift and the Lady of the Forest. Space: Blending sci fi with magic can be hard to balance but you do a good job. When Dale says he's 3000 years old it seems just right. I also like the development were the ancient Wizard's War appears to be still going on, involving much more than just this planet, but a broader galactic action. As I said, a good story well positioned to continue on in the next book. Hopefully you are writing it - I wouldn't want to be left hanging, not knowing what happens next. Rich Kelly, I like your use of imagery and the vivid pictures you paint.. It makes it really easy to imagine everything. You use words like a artist would use paint brush..I really enjoyed the first chapter ...a Great story line.. I can see things really starting to open up as you lay this great foundation for a GREAT book... Tharrow I find myself hesitant about offering a review of (chapter one) because it is published work but I am going to anyway. I liked the piece for a number of reasons which are: The story is original..I have read many books that are based in SciFi/Fantasy and have yet to read one that crosses modern tech with the realm of magic and earlier times. There isn't alot of unnecessary descriptive language used...to much and I have a tendency of skipping over paragraphs. The language used painted us the necessary picture to bring us into your world and see the characters and scenery. The dialogue between Dale and Kheri is very naturally flowing..not stilted and full of what I call the $.25 look them up in the dictionary to follow the storyline words. I also like the quick progress of the storyline. There wasn't any plodding and irrelevant actions in their leaving town...straight forward and can't wait to see what happens next. Ruthann Oliver From "the brief events in the alley" to the beginning of an exciting plotline to the characters Dale and Kheri, this is brilliant fantasy. Immediately took a liking to it. I'm sure it is selling, Crystalwizard, I wish the best of luck with all your published works. You have talent with your wise knowledge of the subject and I speculate that even if these things take time, you will be great, great, great in the future. Good job! Best Regards. victoria My thoughts on Wizards Bane. I love the interactions between the various characters, like Jarl and Aerline, I felt Aerline could have been developed more, but perhaps that comes in Villenspell. The on going competition between Faran and Kheri is good too, they really don't know whether to think of each other as brothers in arms or rivals! lol. When I finished the book, I felt as if the story had only just started and I really hadn't got my teeth in to it yet, the speed with which I finished it may have had something to do with that though. Hence me being so eager to read the next book, lol. The writing flowed, helping me to slip through the story from one exciting moment to the next, which I love, you didn't bog the reader down with too much description, instead letting them use their imagination, which is really what reading is all about. The disappointment I felt when I discovered I had read the last page was tangible, so I can't thank you enough for sending me Villenspell :-) Sue Baldwin