The Written: A Nordic Epic Fantasy

Ben Galley

Dec 2010 · BenGalley.com

About this ebook

“★★★★★. Galley's imagination is a truly beautiful thing. The plot here is rich and intricate, and the characters are a delight... I believe Mr Galley may well be one to watch.”

– Fantasy Bytes

“★★★★★. Galley is not yet as good an author as Gemmell but the thing that I find exciting is that I honestly think that he could be.”

– Fantasy Book Review

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His name is Farden. 

They whisper that he’s dangerous. 

Dangerous is only the half of it.

A spellbook has gone missing from the libraries of Arfell – a very old and extremely powerful spellbook from the time of dark elves and demons. Five scholars are dead, the magick council is running out of time and options, and the Arka is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders. 

It falls to Farden the Written mage to keep the world from falling into chaos. Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Farden must recover the spellbook before an ancient enemy rises, even if it takes journeying halfway across icy Emaneska and back.

In his fight for answers, Farden will unearth a secret that not only shakes the foundations of his world, but threatens the entire future of Emaneska. Sorcery, death, drugs and the deepest of betrayals await.

Welcome to Emaneska.

———

The Written is the first volume in The Emaneska Series and the debut book of dark and epic fantasy author Ben Galley. Packed with magic and monsters, gods and demons, The Written is perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb, and George R.R. Martin.

MORE PRAISE FOR THE WRITTEN

"If you love fantasy, action, intrigue, magic and all that goes with it then you need to read these books.”

– The Book Geek

"There are certain twists that will surprise the reader by genuinely coming out of the left field.”

– Fantasy Book Critic

"Absolutely one of my most favorite series ever.”

– Amie Eckelmann

“If you love epic fantasy, this is a great, any brilliant example of the genre.”

– Alia The Book Lover

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MORE BOOKS BY BEN GALLEY (Available in ebook and paperback)

Emaneska Series

– The Written

– Pale Kings

– Dead Stars - Part One

– Dead Stars - Part Two

– No Fairytale

Scarlet Star Trilogy

– Bloodrush

– Bloodmoon

– Bloodfeud

Chasing Graves Trilogy

– Chasing Graves

– Grim Solace

– Breaking Chaos

Standalones

– The Heart of Stone

– Shards

Keywords:

fantasy, epic fantasy, epic, dark fantasy, ya fantasy, dark, nordic, norse, viking, mythology, myth, mythological creatures, dragons, magic, mages, wizards, witches, ben galley, fantasy author, emaneska series

Ratings and reviews

I was surprisingly engaged in this story, it was interesting and kept me guessing. A few things didn't fully chime in well with me, in particular I thought the dialogues could be better. Also, the main character, Farden, could have used a bit more intelligence. He comes across as a brute, a fighter that happened to have magical powers, yet goes on journeys that really merit some wisdom. Oh, and talking dragons? That was weird. But, overall it kept me reading and I wanted to find out what was next.

Definitely needs much better editing & proofreading. I am only in the 4th chapter, & there have been so many spelling mistakes & sentences that had garbled meanings. I had previously read a well written short story by Ben - which is why I decided to give this book a try. Unfortunately I'm having trouble following this story due to writing errors. I'm hoping all of this improves in later books in this series.

A shallow experience from beginning to end. The characters are forgettable, the world boring, and the story filled with plot holes. Throw in nearly every cliche you can think of, apply deux ex machinas liberally and you have the Emaneska Series. If you're looking for an interesting or compelling literary experience, look elsewhere.

About the author

Ben Galley is an author of dark and epic fantasy books who currently hails from Victoria, Canada. Since publishing his debut Emaneska Series, Ben has released a range of epic and dark fantasy novels, including the award-winning weird western Bloodrush and standalone novel The Heart of Stone. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Chasing Graves Trilogy.

When he isn’t conjuring up strange new stories or arguing the finer points of magic and dragons, Ben works as a self-publishing consultant, helping fellow authors from around the world to publish their books.

Ben enjoys exploring the Canadian wilds and sipping Scotch single malts, and will forever and always play a dark elf in The Elder Scrolls. One day he hopes to live in an epic treehouse in the mountains.

Ben can be found on Twitter or vlogging on YouTube @BenGalley, or loitering on Facebook and Instagram @BenGalleyAuthor. You can also get a free ebook copy of his epic fantasy The Written at www.bengalley.com.