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Ancients (Heroes by Necessity) Paperback – December 2, 2017

by Riley S. Keene (Author)

4.0 41 ratings

Book 1 of 5: Heroes by Necessity

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They're heroes. Just not by choice. Hidden far beneath the city of Khule lies an ancient spell of immeasurable power. Athala Dohn, wizard and scholar, wants that spell. Going alone isn't an option, so Athala enlists Conscript Elise Bresch and the barbarian Ragan Ermolt to protect her. She was prepared for the giant rats, and she assumed there would be animated skeletons. But she didn't expect to uncover a dragon. Or be carted off to jail. Will Athala and her companions escape and secure the power, or will a dubious outsider take advantage of their capture and steal it first? Ancients is the first book in the epic Heroes by Necessity series, a Dungeons-and-Dragons-esque take on the fantasy genre overflowing with rich world-building, diverse characters, and heart-pounding adventure. Pick up your copy today!

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Keene Publishing (December 2, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 521 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0999191608
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0999191606
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.44 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.18 x 8 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.0 41 ratings

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Riley S. Keene

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Riley S. Keene is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing duo, also known as Robert and Kristen. They used to live in the Pacific Northwest and enjoyed the rainstorms, lack of sunlight, and excess oxygen that come with living in that part of the US. But all good things must end, and now they live outside of Philadelphia and are pretty sure the air isn't supposed to be made of so much moisture.

Robert (he/him) is a Pacific Northwest native who has a degree in Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences, and is studying Data Engineering. He has a love for video games and a dislike for pretty much everything else.

Kristen (they/them) was born and raised in a town outside of Philadelphia. They have a degree in Multimedia Design and work for an education assessment company. Kristen loves gloomy weather, good books, food made from animals, and spending time with Robert and their grumpy ex-stray cat, Brewster.

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Lessi

Realistic heroes, plus humor, magic, and a dragon never goes wrong!

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2018

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So honestly one of the best reads I had in a while.

It starts off slow, like most first books/episodes do, and lets you get a small idea and taste of what's going on.

Then it's a non-stop roller coaster of emotions and thrills!! I loved the characters, all of them. The protagonist was very believable and a bit frightening. The main trio were lively and full of jokes, but were serious when needed. A good balance of drama and humor. The plot is very fast paced, each bit tightening the tension more and more as you go, but not too fast that you use what is going on. The pacing I felt was spot on for all points for me personally, which is rare these days and can just happen.

My favorite bits are the fighting and how realistic it is and the attention to detail with the armor and weapons. The relationships and dialogue between the trio of heroes is also believable and the author did a great job of capturing how people respond to stress.

If you are a fan of the 'classics', love dnd, or really anything classic fantasy, I recommend this highly! It has the traditional classic fantasy feel but then takes it to a different level, which level I'm unsure of but I love it!

Cannot wait for more and eagerly await the next book!

P.S. I love that one guy. You'll know who when you read it.

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Chelsea Terry

Super Fast and Highly Entertaining Read!

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2018

*Spoiler Alert*
Ancients was such an amazing book. I found myself instantly absorbed into a world full of magic and drama. The story was set at a very quick pace, so there isn't much time for the reader to get bored. The story was centered on three characters- Athala, who is able to do magic; Ermolt, a barbarian warrior; and Elise, a Constript who worships the god Ydia. They trio was brought together because Athala has to be protected in her search for a spell that has the potential to destroy humanity. Ancients opens with the characters already together for a month and as close as friends. I found this rather disorienting and confusing at first. I would have rather the book began earlier (maybe before they met) to allow better character and relational development; however, Reene does give reader insight into how they became so close. The POV bounces between all three characters, which I admit confused me at times. However, it does allow the reader to have full insight into the action of the novel without having to wait for one main character to stumble across it. There is plenty of action and drama that, while is fast paced, reads very clearly. I was amazed at how well Reene was able to write out fight scenes that put me in the situation instead of numbing me to the story. Usually, when I attempt to read fight scenes, I find myself just skimming through and flipping until the end; however, with Reene's writing, I actually enjoyed them. A fair warning, there are some fairly violent and twisted scenes so reader beware. There are acts of torture that go into enough detail that made me a little freaked out.
In a slight change of pace, the romance in the novel was spot on for my tastes. I am not one who picks up romance or really enjoys grand romantic story arcs that shadow the action plot. This being said, I liked how Reene handled her characters and the romance involved. It was much more realistic than other novels I have read in the past. There was no stereotypical "I met you, now my heart is complete let's get married". You knew it was there, but it was not in your face. I actually found myself at times wishing there was a bit more and frustrated at the characters for not being a little more open with their emotions. (Great writing point to Reene).
The reason I gave Reene's novel a 4/5 stars is due to the fact that she does begin the novel at a point that it reads like a second novel in the series. By the time we as the reader are introduced to the reader, they already have formed relationships and have hit a point in their journey that seemed to better fit later in the novel or a second one. When I began reading, I felt very disoriented trying to find where I as the reader stood in the story. Once I suspended what I thought I should know or have been told, I find myself lost in the story. Like I said earlier this is a really great novel. It is one I would recommend to anyone who truly enjoyed high fantasy. I look forward to the second installation from Reene.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book after given a free copy.

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D. stapleton

Incomplete series

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2022

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It's an interesting premise but the series is incomplete. There are 5 books published but there are more that haven't been completed yet. Thus, the series is incomplete. I wouldn't bother reading until the series is completed, which may not ever occur.

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2018

I was given a free copy in return for an honest review. To be honest I found this a little heavy going. The search through the tunnels seemed to drag on forever without getting anywhere. The characters whilst original seemed a little verbose and did not really endear themselves to me. I wanted to enjoy this as it was a good concept but it was a bit of a chore to finish it

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Pen Name

Feels like I am there with the main characters!!!

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2018

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The authors ability to describe the scenes and what was going through the minds of the main characters was incredible. The authors style of writing kept me engaged and interested all the way until the end!

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Avid fan

Great read with amazing fight scenes

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2017

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The plot draws you in and the likeable trio of characters keeps you engaged. Their diverse talents and personalities make for an interesting read. Can't wait for the next book to come out.

One person found this helpful

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Brat2728

Friends against evil

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2018

I was given this book free and voluntarily reviewed

When I began reading this book, I wasn't sure if I would find myself wanting to continue or stop reading. Well, I am glad I kept going as this book turned out to be interesting. It showed true friendship over evil, and how working together can overcome obstacles no matter how hard they were to face. The characters of this book were a mix of over sized barbarian, magical, and level headedness. Putting the three of them together was wonderful. I even had some points where I was laughing so hard, I had tears rolling down my face. When you read this book, be prepared for the battle when the wizard has a sheathed dagger to fight with (don't say I didn't warn you :) ) This isn't my usual genre to read, so it did take awhile to get into the plot of the story, hence the four stars over five. Good job! I do look forward to the next in the series.

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2018

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A well done story. It does not feel like you are reading the same old fantasy story. Instead, you are enjoying a new spin on things.

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Top reviews from other countries

donna

the other reviews had me fooled !

Reviewed in Canada on December 19, 2018

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Not sure if most people were paid for their reviews, or if they were just young readers starting out in the genre, but I found this childish, slow & boring ! I thought character development was hardly there, the story was weak & I struggled to finish it. Will NOT be buying the other ones in the series.
Might be good for young readers, but as a person who has read fantasy for years, this was very bland.
Don't waste your time.

Robert

Not very good history book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

Not an easy read. Kept going of the subject.

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