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M. Lee Holmes

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Shadows of Men (The Watchers Book 1) Kindle Edition

by M. Lee Holmes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Book 1 of 5: The Watchers

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When Rhada, High Protector of Kaena, is commanded by the King to travel north to investigate a suspicious disturbance, she is less than thrilled to spend over a month on the road. As her companion, she chooses Captain Mayvard Stoneward, the only person who can bear her company. The two of them set off on a journey that will forever change their lives- a journey where Rhada’s past seems to follow her everywhere she goes- a past that the people of the realm have not so easily forgotten. Meanwhile, Lord Ivran Cassius has plans to overthrow the throne, and at his side is the entire realm, eager to rid themselves of the man who calls himself King. Rhada’s absence leaves King Firion vulnerable, and Lord Ivran only needs to find the right moment to strike. But none of them are expecting the darkness that has gathered in the north- an ancient sorcerer, seemingly returned from the dead. He is a man who can raise the dead from their graves and control the minds of his prey- a man desperately seeking vengeance. The realm of Kaena will have to come together to fight this new evil, and only one person can save them all.

Book 1 of 5

The Watchers
Print length

297 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

July 21, 2016
Grade level

12 and up
File size

1604 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

M. Lee Holmes grew up in a small, quiet town in northern Utah. The monotony of everyday life is what sparked her wild imagination and made her realize she wanted to spend her life telling stories. She still lives in Utah with her husband, two children, two dogs, and a few renegade squirrels who have decided to call her attic home.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01IUX8H62
Publisher ‏ : ‎ M. Lee Holmes (July 21, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 21, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1604 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 297 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 179078378X

Customer Reviews:
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M. Lee Holmes

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M. Lee Holmes was born in 1984 in a small town in Northern Utah. She has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pen. Her debut novel; Shadows of Men, was just released on Kindle. She will continue to publish her Watchers series through Amazon.

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4.2 out of 5

24 global ratings

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Red

Well worth a read if you like more meat (actual story) than glam in fantasy worlds!

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2016

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A story that kept my attention from beginning to end. The storyline flows smoothly, the characters have depth and are imperfect, magic is an art more than a science (not always at the will of the few who use it). You can't tell what's going to be at the end of the book when you begin, too many times I pick up a book and a couple of chapters in I know where it is going to end up. This book is a refreshing change, and I really look forward to the followup.

Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2016

The story is a dark fantasy I found hard to immerse myself in, I simply could not relate to the different characters or find a frame for the plot and by the time I started to get my bearings the book was over. I'm doubly sorry for I was gifted a pdf in exchange for a review but it was clearly not my cup of tea, I gave the book three stars because it's not badly written and I am sure it can appeal to other readers.

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Glenn D.

Great Read

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020

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I enjoyed these books very much. I did not want to put it down but at the same time I didn't want it to end.
I wholeheartedly recommend the entire series.

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Guy Estes

A Great Start to a Series

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

A great start to a series, Shadows of Men tells the story of several characters, the main one being Rhada, the royal High Protector of Kaena. She and her captain must investigate disaster that befell a city. The story is well paced and the characters well developed. As High Protector, Rhada is essentially the king's sword. She must do whatever he commands, and since the king is a tyrant, she has done some pretty horrible things. Consequently, she is perhaps the most hated person in the kingdom. This makes her journey even more difficult, because no one wants anything to do with her. Rhada is well aware of this and would rather brave the perils of the Forest of the Dead than pass through a certain town where she once brutally quelled a rebellion. As we get to know her, though, we see she's not an evil person, though I was curious as to why at some point she didn't rebel against he king. Perhaps that question will be answered in subsequent installments of the series.
There are a lot of characters in the story. I have a very hard time keeping a lot of names straight, so this was a small issue for me, but this is a quirk of my mind and is not a reflection on Ms. Holmes writing. My only real criticism is formatting and editing. The formatting, such as paragraph breaks, made it difficult to know when one character stopped talking and another started. It looked like the first character was still talking. There was the occasional incorrect word usage and a few other things here and there that lead me to believe it could do with a round of editing.
Those issues notwithstanding, this story is a good start to the series. I particularly liked the antagonist, Amag'mar. At first glance, one could mistake him for the stereotypical dark lord. Interestingly, we don't see a great deal of him, but what we do see is quite chilling. He comes across as a guy who could kick Sauron's ass with ease. I found the character very interesting despite (or perhaps because of) the limited glimpses we get of him.
So overall, while there are a few bits that could be polished a bit more, this is a well crafted story that is a strong start to the series. Well done, Ms. Holmes.

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mii

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2016

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Awesome can't wait till the next book

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Safari Books & Treasures

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016

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Loved it. A great read.

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Thebookandi

Recommend to Fantasy Fans

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2017

Shadows of Men
By: M. Lee Holmes
Fantasy

Rhada, the High Protector of Kaena is dispatched to investigate a terrible happening in a land far to the north of Axenda, the capitol where King Firion and his queen reside. It will take a month to get there and back. This leaves Firion and castle vulnerable to attack from both foe…and friends. Lord Ivran is gathering an army to overthrow the king and everyone from royalty to the peasantry is quickly choosing sides. Unbeknownst to all but a few, an ancient evil—a long dead evil sorcerer—has risen from the depths to add the misery of the realm. Who will stop it all?

This is NOT the best story I’ve ever read. That honor—for me—goes to Gone with the Wind. However, it’s a good, imaginative, and engrossing story.

The plot is complicated—there are literally dozens of different story-lines. Yet, the author keeps them each in their own bubble—for the most part. The characters are developed and logically written (although I’m not sure I’d call them complex). Rhada—the woman I would consider to be the main character—is less developed than I would have liked her to be; she’s hated by her countrymen for some truly heinous acts she committed during a time of rebellion and war, while under orders from the king. The people’s hatred is warranted. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the author, M. Lee Holmes, passed up an opportunity to give more detail into Rhada’s inner workings. I finished the book not knowing if Rhada was truly the contemptuous evil scoundrel she appeared to be or, I wondered, was there anything to like about her at all.

Ms. Holmes is a talented writer. Without giving anything away, I can tell you there was a scene in which something truly disgusting was described and I LITERALLY began gagging. I could almost see and smell and feel it all and it was too much! She has skill.

My only real complaint about this book is this: In the beginning of the story—let’s say the first five chapters maybe—there was a lot of going back and forth between the “present” and the “past” with little or no recognition of that fact. I got a little lost. It wasn’t until I was well into the book that I realized what had been happening.

Overall, this is a good book and a great way to spend a few hours in another world.

I would recommend it to lovers of fantasy.

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Kevin

A great read for any fantasy fan

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2016

Some books are emotional rollercoasters taking you high and low through the story. I found this book to be more of an unstoppable thrilling ride without the lulls in the action that I have come to expect from this genre. From the storytelling aspect to the action it was just a non stop enjoyable read that I am happy to have in my collection. The characters are predictable in the sense that you know your right from wrong and good from bad, but also honestly likeable/dislikable in all cases. One of my favorite characters has a flair for stoicism that leaves you in thought after finishing each chapter. A great read and An author that I will look forward to seeing much more from!

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Shadows of Men (The Watchers Book 1) Kindle Edition

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M. Lee Holmes

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