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Anthony Mitchell
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The Ember Child (The Godsbane Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Anthony Mitchell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 out of 5 stars 19 ratings
In a world where gods hold dominion over the lives of mortals, two men have the strength of will to forge their own destiny.

The first is Halasan; the determined, sixteen-year-old heir to a fallen kingdom. Believed to be the Ember Child spoken of in prophecy, he has spent his life in hiding, training for the day he can return home and reclaim his father’s throne.

Set against him is Coren, the Lucian Emperor, who once forged the greatest empire the world has ever seen and now spends his days trying to hold the fragile union together. He dreams of a world united in peace and prosperity, but Halasan's existence presents a danger to that ambition. The boy’s claim will mean war unless Coren can stop his rebellion before it takes hold.

Thus begins the race for the city of Danara, where one man hopes to free a nation, the other to save an empire. Only one can succeed, but not even the gods can say who it will be.

For these men are the Godsbane, and their actions will shape the course of history as gods can only dream.
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  1. Print length
    698 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    June 11, 2017
  4. File size
    2.3 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B071GL1B2W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 1st edition (June 11, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 11, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 698 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1521542805
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

About the author

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Anthony Mitchell

Anthony Mitchell

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UK fantasy writer Anthony Mitchell is the author of several stories set in the world of Domanska.

He lives on the Wirral with his wife, Jen, daughter, Penny, and their dog, the mighty Thor.

By day he works in IT, but by night he can be found in a world of swords and sandals, working towards his next novel.

You can find out more about both him and the world of Domanska at his website: www.StoriesFromTheCave.com

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
19 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Ahmed
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great new adventure that deserves attention!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book deserves attention! It by chance ended up on my Kindle, and I am so glad it did. I read a good deal of fantasy books, and this one stands out.
    The story is captivating, original, very well written, and well planned. You meet a good number of characters as the story progresses and get to know some of their back-stories. With that said, it never feels confusing or overwhelming.
    I would categorize this book as a high fantasy genre with ancient Roman Empire flare to it. There are gods, witches, and elements of magic that are more subtle then flying dragons, for example, but work great to support the plot without overpowering it.
    The book also offers excellent adventure, deep relationships, well-written fights, and good humor. However, one of my favorite things about this book is how there are no cookie cut heroes or villains. I think the author did a fantastic job creating characters that feel real: heroes that have flaws and villains driven by their moral code.
    Lastly, if you enjoy books by Brandon Sanderson, you should try “The Ember Child”!
    One person found this helpful
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  • K. E. Myers
    5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific first book in The Godsbane trilogy
    Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2022
    What's the story about: The Ember Child's main storyline follows a typical chosen one protagonist (and his allies) that is prophesied to be the true heir to the kingdom that a god-emperor is currently ruling. His goal is to take his throne back. The second main storyline follows the god-emperor and his followers as he tries to stop the rebellion from taking over all that he has accomplished. While this is a more traditionally stated story, the way it's told is anything but.

    Mitchell's talents became apparent to me first and foremost in the form of character motivation and development and this was really exciting because I long for character-driven stories more than any others. From the first few chapters, I was deeply intrigued and beguiled by the characters he had introduced and was invested in their plights and difficulties. As the book went on, characters developed well and organically, which caused my investment to deepen and I became fully hooked before part 1 was over. Secondly, Mitchell showcases brilliant balance of easy flowing prose and well described settings and scenes. The language is not necessarily flowery, but also not simple and boring. He takes time to give you an accurate picture of what is going on and the subtle beauty of the world. I loved this.

    The next point worth noting is that this story, while being an epic with changing POVs all the time, follows a mostly linked and linear plotline. It wasn't overly simplistic, but it was a solid plot that you knew how to follow without it getting convoluted and bogged down by crazy differing storylines. Halasan's quest is the main one, filled by the stories surrounding him. But the other, surrounding the emperor, is just the opposite, trying to oppose the rebellion. This left a comfortable feeling whenever I returned to the reading because I never had to remind myself of what was going on. The chapters always revolved around appropriately delineated threads that flowed well, knit together, and all contributed to the overall plot in a meaningful way.

    Now that the positive has been stated, I have to mention that this story isn't altogether perfect. While most of the dialogue is clean and tight, there are occasional places where the self-publishing nature shows itself. The story could've used an edit or two, having spelling errors commonly but for the most part, this doesn't take the story down very much or very often. Things seemed to always course correct and get back to mostly outstanding writing.

    The Ember Child is a brilliant and wonderful beginning to The Godsbane trilogy. The story boasts epic proportions, but the characters are real, raw, and flawed in their personalities, morals, and choices. Mitchell captures humanity at its best and worst within these pages and does a glorious job entertaining along the way. This is a character driven story and is all the better for it. Each chapter was gripping and teeming with intrigue and wonder as to how the characters would succeed in their endeavors and accomplish their own agendas along the way. While some of the dialogue issues and spelling errors do show themselves fairly often, the story itself is tight and won me over. I would definitely recommend this story!
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  • Dyrk Ashton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book. Macbeth meets 300
    Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2018
    I settled into The Ember Child right off the bat and wanted to continue reading much later than I should each night. This is the kind of story that is immediately familiar to epic fantasy fans, but definitely fresh and different enough, with loads of imagination and inventive world-building, to keep you hooked. A baby boy is born on the eve of an invasion of the great kingdom of Danara, a martial society that's a cross between Sparta and Camelot. He is named Halasan, and deemed the child of prophecy called The Ember Child, destined to free the kingdom from brutal tyranny of the expanding Empire. The baby is spirited away by the king's champion, a grizzled warrior who trains and raises him in a secluded and faraway land. At only sixteen, perhaps not quite ready but willing, he's called to fulfill his destiny.

    This is an extremely well written and plotted story, with plenty of action and adventure, written by someone who obviously loves the genre and cares about both story and craft. I enjoyed the hell out of it, grinning at the relationships between the characters and the sheer damn fun of it all. The world is steeped in well-conceived myth and legend of the author's own design. There are gods, out there, somewhere, who sometimes come to visit, ghosts who whisper in the ears of kings, witches who can read dreams and see the future, and there's at least one immortal among us, but don't expect dragon's spitting fire and wizards flinging spells. It's not that kind of fantasy. At least not in this first book of the series. And that's just damned okay by me. It's also quite clean in terms of language and gratuitous violence. There's a ton of action and swordplay galore, resulting in broken bones, severed limbs and even the spilling of guts, but never is it dwelled upon in detail. I wouldn't call it noble bright, but it's definitely not grimdark either. That said, I think fans of either of those and epic fantasy in general will find plenty to love in this story.

    Speaking of the series, it looks like the second book isn't out yet--and I really wish it was. Looking at Goodreads and Amazon after reading (I never do that before reading these competition entries), The Ember Child has been out since June of 2017, and yet it has just three ratings on Goodreads (all five stars) and none on Amazon. Which means, most likely, no one is reading it. That is a damned shame. This is a great book that deserves a ton of readers, but we have to get their attention first. I think that once more folks start reading and reviewing it, it will catch like wildfire. So, all y'all reading this review, go snag you a copy and tuck in. Let's get that ember glowing.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Allan Stevenson
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Ember Child
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Like Wolfeater a good read, expands on the world building from the previous book and again didn't feel the story didn't pigeon hole clear good guys or bad guys which makes it not a typical bland hero story. Right balance of fantasy and grounded environment. Always a good sign when a book leaves you wanting to read more stories in that world which this book did for me
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  • Twids
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 1, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    It’s been a long time since I read a fantasy novel. I read so many that I had become tired of the genre.

    However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m really looking forward to the next one. The characters are well illustrated and the story is expertly woven to draw the reader into the world that the author paints.
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  • Ministry21
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy that doesn't try too hard, but still achieves
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The Ember Child is that rare literary beast, the fantasy novel that doesn't lean too hard on tired tropes. Don't get me wrong, I love a magic-wielding wizard, a hopeless last stand, an impenetrable fortress city. I love a dragon. This novel has almost non of this, and yet it is rich and accomplished.

    Anthony Mitchell manages to balance political intrigue, skirmishes, battles, an epic quest, romance, mythology and mysticism, and the occasional twist in just the right way. There is just a sprinkling of magic as well. Nothing feels strung out in this story, and, to use a cliché, it really is a page-turner. It has taken me a long time to finish this book but that's no reflection on the writing, just that I am both lazy and easily distracted when it comes to reading.

    If you like fantasy that doesn't try to hard but still accomplishes an epic start to a tale, definitely add this title to your shelf. You won't be disappointed.
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  • Chris Daly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly involving and well constructed.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book from the get go, really indepth and well written story with a real feeling character dynamic. The story flows well and really drags you in. Looking forward to reading the follow up. Would definitely recommend!
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  • Kevin Gaynor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining and beautifully written
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The world this story takes place in is brought to life with the eloquent and flowing style of the author making for an easy and enjoyable read. The characters are all interesting and the story itself is a real page-turner.
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