Progeny

Nikalys and Kenders Isaac have lived a simple life as children of a farmer in the town of Yellow Mud. When a summer day leads them away from their village, they never predicted that it would also save their lives. From a distance, the two witness the magical destruction of their town - including their friends and family - by a mysterious elf and several robed figures. After watching the terrifying encounter, the two siblings flee. Magic has always been outlawed in their home, but even more startling than seeing it destroy their lives is the discovery of unique powers within themselves. Setting out to notify the authorities, Kenders and Nikalys soon cross paths with a giant of a man named Broedi. Possessing the rare talent of show more shapeshifting, he is a fortunate ally who holds the secrets to their past - as well as their future.

Progeny by R.T. Kaelin is a stunning work of epic fantasy. The story is wonderfully told and full of action and adventure. Along with the Isaac siblings and their large companion, the book is populated with well-developed characters. The story lines are beautifully woven together and each new multi-dimensional hero or villain that is introduced adds a new layer of perspective to the tale. These characters flourish in the the expansive fantasy landscape that Kaelin has created. A single village or kingdom is not enough to contain the story, so the setting is an entire nation with multiple terrains, laws, races, and cultures. Along with a pantheon of gods - good, neutral, and evil - the story refers to seasons, history, education, politics, ancient prophecy, customs, and legends of the land, all of which contribute to bringing the world to life. The universe also contains a richly detailed and unique system of magic. The system is built upon the concept of Strands - nine of them, each with a unique color and property - and those with a gift for magic wield it by weaving together the types of Strands they are able to use. Some users can control multiple types such as fire, air, water; some can only touch a few; others have no knowledge of magic at all; while some can sense it but not use it.

Cleverly conceived and expertly crafted, Kaelin demonstrates great talent as a writer with this work. The grand scale world-building, rarely seen in a debut novel, is on par with current greats of the genre such as Brandon Sanderson and Jim Butcher. Though it nears seven hundred pages long, the epilogue comes far too soon; but the story holds great promise for future adventures in the series. Overall, Progeny is a fantastic book! It is appropriate for young adults or fans of high fantasy of any age. While it does tell a succinct story, it will definitely leave readers eagerly anticipating its sequel! show less

Kaelin's Progeny isn't ground-breaking fantasy. Most of the elements pulled together to make the story are familiar from other authors. For me, that's the appeal of Progeny - it's familiar territory done really well. Kaelin's obviously got a background in epic fantasy, and reminds me of both Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series and Raymond Feist's Magician: Apprentice/Master. His world is well-thought out and avoids one of my bugaboos with fantasy - there's a whole world here, not just a little corner where world-shaking events take place. The characters are well-fleshed out and quite solid, and Kaelin's got a decent sense of pacing and plot. He drew the threads of this widespread story together for a nicely dramatic show more conclusion. I just hope the sequel doesn't take too long to appear!

Highly recommended for fans of epic fantasy a la 1980s and 90s. show less

Without a doubt, R. T. Kaelin’s Progeny goes on my list of high fantasy to be re-read. With the number of books currently competing for my attention, that is saying a lot.

At first glance, it seems that Kaelin has written a formulaic quest-type fantasy story. He has elves, mages, orcs and Halflings, a sword and magic. I’ve seen all of these elements appear in stories before. The thing is, I still read many of them, because I’m always looking for one thing I want above all else when I read fantasy. That one thing is story – and without a doubt, Kaelin delivers.

Teenagers Nikalys and his sister Kenders live in a country where magic is outlawed and viewed as something to be feared. When they witness an act of magic that ultimately show more destroys their tiny village, along with their parents and all the people they know and love, they are forced to leave the only home they’ve ever known.

Along with their older brother Jak, they undertake a journey that begins with the intention of finding the elf responsible for the destruction of their home. Meetings with several different persons, almost from the start cause Nikalys and Kenders to find out more about a destiny that had been hidden from them. Much more is at stake than they could ever have believed. Progeny is the story of the first step to them becoming who they were meant to be.

Let me backtrack a little however. I have actually read two different versions of this book. The first version (which I received from the author) was longer, but had fewer chapters. There was more setup before the action, and a somewhat slower pacing. The second version I read is the one that’s now available for purchase (in e-book format). It has an entirely different prologue, almost twice as many chapters … but is actually a shorter book.

I was so impressed with the level of storytelling in the original version that I simply had to have the new version, even if it meant that I was basically reading the same book again. I wanted not only to see what had changed, but to know whether Kaelin actually did a better job on the story than the first time around. The changes made the story move along much more quickly. The shorter chapters in particular added a welcome level of tension that resulted in a tighter, more exciting book.

I became quickly caught up in the characters’ lives – not only Nikalys and Kenders, but also Broedi, Zecus and especially Nundle – and with each page, wanted to know what was happening with them next. By the ending, I was satisfied with where the story had gone and how the first level of resolution had taken place.

This is an excellent fantasy that you will find yourself wanting to share when you’re done. Like me, I think you’ll be anxiously awaiting the second book in the series. In the meantime, however, Kaelin also has a series of four collections of short stories which expand on the world created in Progeny. These are also an excellent read, and helped feed the addiction just a little. show less

Progeny is the debut novel of R.T. Kaelin and I have to say I was really impressed. This tome is a promising beginning of a great epic. Kaelin has done an excellent job in telling his story. The first 2 chapters were a little rough, but once past those the storytelling smooths out and it really gets its legs. The story moves right along, but Kaelin takes the time to flesh it out and give the world and the characters depth. I got caught up and wanted to know what happens next. Not to mention wanting to know more and more about the world I was immersed into.

The story starts with Nikalys and Kenders, a brother and sister, racing to the lake on a hot day to cool off. On the way, Kenders ‘senses’ something ‘blue’ so they approach the show more beach slowly only to witness Mages creating an incredible water monster, just before it is unleashed to drown and wash away their village. This starts them on a journey of justice and self discovery. Along the way they meet and collect individuals who need or want or can give help, and all of them are being pursued by an evil hell bent on destroying them all.

Overall, I would favorably compare his writing with Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, (early) Robert Jordan and even a bit of David Eddings flavor mixed in. This is a large book at just shy of 700 pages. Kaelin expects he needs to cut it down some to get a national publisher to pick it up, but I think cutting more than 50 pages would cause the story to lose some of its depth. I really enjoyed this book and my biggest disappointment is going to be waiting for the next installment. show less

The cover on this symbolizes the essence of the story, the White Lions, a select few originally chosen by the gods to defend and maintain balance, fighting evil in its many guises, including those that incarnate (e.g. God of Deception), among many.

From the first chapter I was completely hooked. I was drawn into a community where magic is outlawed, and had just met Nikalys and his sister Kenders, before being immersed into an utterly devastating event for their community, which sees their village being destroyed and the probability of their family having died as a result. Nikalys and Kenders are hurtled into an unknown fate, as they put distance between themselves and the incredibly powerful (but outlawed) magic which they were the show more witnesses and survivors of.

This novel is a fantasy about family, legacies, strengths, coming of age and also magical powers..."the strands". Anyone who enjoys adventure stories or magical and paranormal I would suggest you give this a try. For me, Progeny is in league with both The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings and far better than Harry Potter - Progeny has a wealth of depth to it that I haven't seen in many books.

Progeny has many layers of stories within its pages, and I found it totally awe inspiring as a read, with each character that is developed really coming to life and adding weight to the story telling. It's hard for me to pick a favorite character to be honest, as they were all of a fantastic quality. We get to see flaws, weaknesses and the loathsomeness in the most evil characters of the plot. The Sun Elf is exceptionally evil and self centered, leaving both chaos and death in his wake, I loved some of his creations which added to his dastardly deeds. Broedi is a strong, relaxed and fairly easy going character who oozes control with a mindset of a protector and true friend. Nundle the Halfling is a joy to read about. I loved the way a character of such small stature could make such a big difference - not only do we get to see him as he rises from being under the thumb of a horrible teacher, we see him in a setting which he deserves to be part of with his magical talents. The progressions of both Nikalys and Kenders if fascinating, alongside that of their friends.

There's also a wealth of villages and backdrops which characters are either from, pass through or end up at, all of which have their own story which we also see and become part of as the story continues. Progeny is well paced, and seamlessly weaves lots of stories and characters without effort or flaw.

My favorite quote from Progeny:
"I feel like an arrow. For thirty-six years, I remained inside a quiver. Now suddenly, I've been shot and am flying through the air, trying to glimpse and grasp everything as it all rushes past."

I thoroughly enjoyed the build up to the last couple of chapters. We are left knowing that there is more to come, so I hope Sabine makes her mind up, and that it's clarified in the next book if Eliza and Aryn Atticus are no longer living - this was hinted at, but not confirmed. I loved the idea of the gods aiding and making pacts behind closed doors on either sides, and I also loved the use of "the strands"...the use of magic...for me reminiscent of a dvd which I adore for its use of T'ai Chi & energy working -The Last Airbender.

For all of its 650+ pages, Progeny is the biggest book I've read for a while - however it is also substantial in content and storyline. I've enjoyed it immensely from start to finish and am really looking forward to whatever happens next - it's sure to be good after the high bar R.T. Kaelin has made with Progeny. A highly recommended read, this is a great story of epic proportions, which I would love to see this as a film. My only question now is...when can we expect the next one?! show less

Progeny is one of those books you see made into a movie. It's a story that captures the reader and doesn't let them go, not even at the final page. If you enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia or the works of Paolini then you will most definitely enjoy Progeny. As YA Fantasy novels go, this is one of those that leaves me impressed and wanting for more. You can tell that R.T. Kaelin took his time to develop his story and characters to give them dimension and bring them to life.

A quality I find that good authors share is the ability to make their stories come alive, where it becomes so real to them they offer the reader more to explore outside of their book (i.e. J.K. Rowling writing "Quidditch Through The Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where show more to Find Them or J.R. Tolkein's Middle Earth). Kaelin does exactly this. Not only has he written a hefty book full of depth and plot, but from exploring his website and receiving sources from him myself, I see that he has taken his story and breathed life into it.

So if you couldn't tell, I loved this book. I loved the magic, the drama, the characters, the twists and the mystery. It has all of those elements in one. Usually when I start a book I have to keep telling myself, "just get through the first few chapters, they always get better after that." Not here. I loved that you hit the ground running on the very first page. As you travel through the story with the main characters, you find yourself searching for answers along with them, turning the pages so you can journey onto the next moment with them.

5 stars, and I can't wait to read the next installment! show less

Progeny is the first chapter in what could easily become one of the great high fantasy stories of our time. Plainly said, Progeny is just a lot of fun! This novel sets up a backdrop for a much greater tale than is portrayed in the book – this is not to say the picture painted by this book is not great in and of itself! I can easily see this series becoming a trilogy, tetralogy or more.

Terrene, the world in which this story takes place, is rife with elves, men, halflings, giants, orcs, demons, etc. – all the goodies and baddies that make up high fantasy. They all have their own racial tendencies already familiar to the reader, but the author has not locked his individual characters into these pre-established racial roles. For show more instance, one of the main bad guys is what I would equate to a “high elf” – a race almost always portrayed as the embodiment of goodness – and he is a real baddie!

The world that has been created by Kaelin feels very “clean” to me. There is a highly ordered calendar complete with evenly spaced lunar cycles and seasons. An established pantheon of gods and goddesses walks the world it shares with its followers – remaining withdrawn from society for the most part, but acting in ways unseen until after the effects of its transgressions have passed. Add to this, a logical and beautiful magic system based off of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and made original by the author, you have a clean canvas for great works of art to be produced.

The story itself is written very well – especially considering this is the author’s own first novel. Sure there are some minor grammatical errors not caught before publishing, however these are few and he does not even have an established publishing house proofing his work before it goes to release. Kaelin is a self published, Indie author! Considering this I give the author a lot of credit for doing such a good job with both the writing and editing before it got to my hands!

Multiple plotlines intertwine to develop a rich story that is both enjoyable and quick reading. It was fun to see how the different characters came together and I appreciated the lack of “soap opera tactics” I find in so many books (i.e. characters somehow neglecting to share crucial details with their companions to further a specific bizarre story line that otherwise would have fallen apart before progressing far enough to matter). Instead, Kaelin builds the story in a manner with which real people might react if they were put in a similar situation.

All of the characters have their own unique personalities that you will fall in love with and they remain true to their idiosyncrasies throughout the book. You really get a feeling you know a character soon after he or she is introduced to you. You will find yourself associating with their different aspects as the plots develop and come to a harmonious conclusion.

I am pleased to give this book five stars and I look forward to the next novel in what I anticipate will be a series on the same level as the Wheel of Time series, The Inheritance Cycle, and the Shannara series. show less