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Bruce Blake
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When Shadows Fall: The First Book in the Small Gods Epic Fantasy Series (The Books of the Small Gods 1) Kindle Edition

by Bruce Blake (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 129 ratings
A hundred times a hundred seasons have passed since the Goddess banished the Small Gods to the sky, stripped them of their power, and erased their names from history.

Cast out but not forgotten, they bide their time awaiting the opportunity to exact their revenge.

While exploring a forgotten chamber, Prince Teryk and Princess Danya uncover an arcane scroll that speaks of impossible things--a barren mother, a man from across the sea, and the return of the Small Gods. After discovering the prophecy, Teryk believes himself the one chosen to save the kingdom, but Danya isn't so sure.

Despite his sister's doubts, Teryk sets out on a dangerous quest to unlock the secrets of the scroll, risking everything to prove his worth to their father, the king. As he delves deeper into the prophecy, unaware of the powerful forces he's set in motion, he discovers his destiny may not be what he expected and his fight for the kingdom's salvation may cost him more than he ever imagined.

As the prince questions everything he thought he knew about himself, his destiny, and the Small Gods, will he be able to save all he holds dear, or will his quest for glory cost him everything?
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  1. Book 1 of 6
    The Books of the Small Gods
  2. Print length
    422 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    September 21, 2013
  5. File size
    2.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 6 books in this series.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"When Shadows Fall is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. Its characters are memorable: you adore them, you want to strangle them, you cheer them on."- Bekah Terrell"Blake has created a world that is, in a word, mesmerizing. When Shadows Fall pulls the reader in from the first page and won't let go even when it's over. I'm still stuck."- Benjamin X. Wretlind

About the Author

Bruce Blake lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. When pressing issues like shovelling snow and building igloos don't take up his spare time, Bruce can be found taking the dog sled to the nearest coffee shop to work on his short stories and novels. Actually, Victoria, B.C. is only a couple hours north of Seattle, Wash., where more rain is seen than snow, and the dog is too small to pull a sled. Since snow isn't really a pressing issue, Bruce spends more time trying to remember to leave the "u" out of words like "colour" and "neighbour" then he does shovelling (and darn those double l's). Bruce has been writing since grade school but it wasn't until a few years ago he set his sights on becoming a full-time writer. Since then, his first short story, "Another Man's Shoes" was published in the Winter 2008 edition of Cemetery Moon, another short, "Yardwork", was made into a podcast in Oct., 2011 by Pseudopod and his first Icarus Fell novel, On Unfaithful Wings, was published to Kindle in Dec., 2011. The second Icarus Fell novel, All Who Wander Are Lost, was released in July, 2012, and the third, Secrets of the Hanged Man, in July 2013. Sept., 2013 saw the publication of Blood of the King, the first book in the Khirro's Journey epic fantasy trilogy, followed by second book, Spirit of the King, in Dec., 2012, and the third, Heart of the King in Jan., 2013. He has plans for more Icarus novels, several stand alones, and several more books in the Small Gods series.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00FHRZWH2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Best Bitts Productions
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 21, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.8 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 422 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1927687093
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 6 ‏ : ‎ The Books of the Small Gods
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 129 ratings

About the author

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Bruce Blake

Bruce Blake

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Bruce Blake lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. When pressing issues like shovelling snow and building igloos don't take up his spare time, Bruce can be found taking the dog sled to the nearest coffee shop to work on his short stories and novels.

Actually, Victoria, B.C. is only a couple hours north of Seattle, Wash., where more rain is seen than snow. Since snow isn't really a pressing issue, Bruce spends more time trying to remember to leave the "u" out of words like "colour" and "neighbour" than he does shovelling (and watch out for those pesky double l's). The father of two amazing children, Bruce was once the trophy husband of a burlesque diva...not so much anymore.

Bruce's first short story, "Another Man's Shoes" was published in the Winter 2008 edition of Cemetery Moon. Another short, "Yardwork," was made into a podcast in Oct., 2011 by Pseudopod. Since then, he has concentrated on writing novels, publishing the Khirro's Journey trilogy (Blood of the King, Spirit of the King, and Heart of the King), three books in the ongoing Icarus Fell urban fantasy series (On Unfaithful Wings, All Who Wander are Lost, and Secrets of the Hanged Man), and the first three books of the six part Books of the Small Gods series (When Shadows Fall, The Darkness Comes, and And Night Descends). The fourth book in the series will be out soon and Bruce has many more projects simmering on the back burner, so stay tuned.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
129 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story immersive, with one review noting how several storylines run together. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as well-written.

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6 customers mention "Story quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's story immersive, with one customer noting how several storylines flow together, while another describes it as an exciting action-packed narrative.

"...Fall is a jewel of a novel, where intriguing characters and exciting action are brought to life by Blake's artful writing abilities...." Read more

"...The story was so immersive, with each story arc in such a different voice that they could be by different writers...." Read more

"...Bruce Blake weaved an amazing story here were the flow of several storylines ran together...." Read more

"Like the book, but was quite put out that the 2nd & 3rd volumes were not available on Kindle." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one noting its subtle style and another appreciating its poetic descriptions.

"...The settings are believable, with just enough poetic description to capture the mood without distracting the reader from the action...." Read more

"...It is written very well and each change is wonderful. The writer is very talented. If you like these kind of stories you will love this book...." Read more

"...All of the several subplots are left completely hanging. He writes very well however only one of the main characters is very likeable or portrayed..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Bekah Terrell
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read that left me wanting more!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    When Shadows Fall is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. Its characters are memorable: you adore them, you want to strangle them, you cheer them on.

    Bruce Blake portrays the idea "every character's a protagonist in their own mind" wonderfully, and it's difficult to guess who the real antagonist(s) is...which makes WSF all the more intreaguing: who knows how it will end?

    World building and creatures. How refreshing to read a subtle, yet unique magic system performed by non-traditional races! The perfect, magical elves are beyond cliche, but WSF lacks both elves AND perfect characters! The settings are believable, with just enough poetic description to capture the mood without distracting the reader from the action.

    When Shadows Fall is a jewel of a novel, where intriguing characters and exciting action are brought to life by Blake's artful writing abilities. My only complaint is that it ended and The Second Book of the Small Gods isn't out yet. *tears*
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Ape
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read for lovers of small god stories
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is not something I would normally read. It is written very well and each change is wonderful. The writer is very talented. If you like these kind of stories you will love this book. I'm sure the next books will be just as well written.
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  • MissLois
    3.0 out of 5 stars Leaves you hanging.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    You may not want to read this one until the rest of the books in the series are out. All of the several subplots are left completely hanging. He writes very well however only one of the main characters is very likeable or portrayed as having much intelligence or cleverness.
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  • stacey c. brown 👑💎,❤️
    5.0 out of 5 stars a prophecy a king a small man a seasman
    Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    i found i had bought this last year and can honestly say glad that i got to read it .
    i found it to be awestruck to the point what could happen if you found yourself to maybe be someones savior or is he or she . and what of a sailor and a God that is a small God and what a mother and how are they to all save the world i have my theories on who is who but am unsure of the first born son of a king and is it truly a king or a metaphor for it . and how will two siblings find the clues a brother and sister but also royalty but what happens when one is taken from the other , with the other take up arms to finish what their sibiling started or will they abandon their cause . and stay tuned for book 2 and three .
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jim Walts
    2.0 out of 5 stars Get a proof reader.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    There's no excuse to have typos or reversed words in a published work. Perhaps the story could have merit, but the errors are jarring for me.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • The Darkmantle
    5.0 out of 5 stars A dark, intense teaser to a strange land
    Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Where to begin… I had to really think about what to say in this review. There is so much going on in this story I’m not sure 6 books will be enough. The story was so immersive, with each story arc in such a different voice that they could be by different writers. Some characters are seedy and dark, others naive and almost pathetic. And every time I started getting my head wrapped around the story, a new twist or arc would start. Then I hit the end... I know cliffhanger is a dirty word but, well… I need that next book now.

    I give this book 5 Platypires!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer Mimi Davis-Hopkins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Can You See What I See
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This story is a work of art, right from the first word written. Bruce Blake weaved an amazing story here were the flow of several storylines ran together. The characters of each storyline flows to a point were the reader can picture them coming together. Two thumbs up for the wonderful effort ppt into this work of art.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Virgie M. Bishop
    4.0 out of 5 stars Two & Three for Kindle?
    Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Like the book, but was quite put out that the 2nd & 3rd volumes were not available on Kindle.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • SP
    5.0 out of 5 stars sucked me right in!
    Reviewed in Canada on February 21, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Great book! Devoured it in three days. :)

    I can't wait to read the next one, as it left me wanting more.
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  • Carl Tardif
    4.0 out of 5 stars Takes its time defining the setting, but gives enough hints to keep me interested.
    Reviewed in Canada on August 21, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I liked this book enough to buy the 2nd and make sure I'd check Bruce's other works. I like that he adjusts his writing style to fit the character's narrative, but sometimes I don't like it for it breaks the "main" narrative style used for other characters. That said, no matter the style chosen, every character has something I enjoyed about them, even for characters that seemed less interesting at first.

    At the end of the first book I feel the story just got started and that it took its time showcasing all the different characters, but I can easily see myself enjoying all of the books in this series. I give it 4 stars, instead of 3.5 for the anticipation that's building up since I'm guessing the pace will pick up.
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