Eleventh Cycle (Mistland Book 1)

Product Information

In conclusion, this book is set to shake the foundations of grimdark fantasy, with a new independent author who has a decisive command of character, world-building and prose, all working in harmony to create my favourite series debut of the year. I could see the outline of a slumbering forest, its silhouette looking much like the curled body of a dreaming giant.' Kian N. Ardalan was born in Germany, Dusseldorf to Persian parents and has since travelled between so many places that he sees himself as a person of the world; well, with one exception. By the end I am sure I will need a mountain of tissues! So far it's been a few tears, which is very hard to get from me in a book, and I have been assured by my friends whom have read it, that it only gets more emotional from here on out! I want to give special mention to how James so respectfully adapted native American culture into his story, to the point that it even included non-binary individuals!

Eleventh Cycle by Grimdark Fantasy + Berserk and Dark Souls | Eleventh Cycle by

Don’t go. I love you. It’s not your fault. The words refused to come as I watched *redacted* storm away. The prose are trying too hard for their own good and that's not too bad (there are times where I think it aids the atmosphere) but the narrators are trying too hard too. They insert inflections, pauses, and odd emphasis in the worst ways and the end result is that they end up highlighting how hard the prose are trying.The rot eats away at mortals. The Witnesses pray so that they may not turn into one of the forgotten. And the constricting mists infect the lands with fear.

Eleventh Cycle – Signed Bookplate - Inkstone Books Eleventh Cycle – Signed Bookplate - Inkstone Books

Let's start with the fact that I absolutely loved James' prose. It felt so fitting in the way that it tied the culture of more spiritual folk into the worl 4.5 rounded up. There's one aspect that I found especially interesting that I would like to talk about before passing to the characters, and it is how well the fragmented narration is integrated into the full story. The addition of lore snippets at the start of each chapter adds an extra layer of information about Minethria, similar to what we experiment with Hidetaka Miyazaki's narrative, giving you partial information, letting some empty spaces that you can fill with theories, which will be confirmed or discarded once we continue advancing into the story. My name is Nathan and I'm currently getting my Ph.D. in archaeology in the US, but in my freetime I absolutely love reading any kind of fantasy book (and watching way too much TV). So I guess you could say that during the day I like to escape into the past and in the evening I like to escape into other worlds!

The misty world feels claustrophobic at times which is just a sign of how good the author is at drawing you into the setting. This book is often described as being inspired by Dark Souls or Berserk. While I have passing familiarity with both of those, I have never played/read either of them, and so I don’t have those to color or inform my opinion of the book. If you don’t have any experience with these either, don’t worry. I still enjoyed the book immensely without them.

Eleventh Cycle (Mistland): Ardalan, Kian N: 9783200086739

So, making this as a sort of PSA because I'm only about an hour in but feel very sure in saying this. Despite his teacher’s warnings, Kian decided to lean into that realm and now invites others to also explore these vibrant (and perhaps worrying) reflections of his own psyche.

One of the most original sci-fi books I have had the pleasure of reading. Got this as a gift from my fiancee's brother. The book is set in a world where humanity is on the brink of extinction. A ship called Gilgamesh carries the remaining humans in s One of the most original sci-fi books I have had the pleasure of reading. Got this as a gift from my fiancee's brother. The book is set in a world where humanity is on the brink of extinction. A ship called Gilgamesh carries the remaining humans in search of a habitable planet as a last hail mary. Eventually, they come across a planet that is hospitable, but already occupied by sentient spiders. And that's where I get annoyed, because I'm not sure this would stand out as so awfully bad to me if I were just reading instead of listening. It might not be that bad. The hanging heads could be seen as depressed and sullen, but I preferred to see it as veneration— to me, the flower heads were bowing to us passing visitors.'

Kian N. Ardalan (Author of Eleventh Cycle) - Goodreads Kian N. Ardalan (Author of Eleventh Cycle) - Goodreads

When he wasn’t playing video games or reading novels (mostly Darren Shan and Anthony Horowitz) or trying to convince his parents to watch that R-rated movie about vampires and werewolves, he delved into fantasy worlds of his own making. Despite the similarities, Ardalan’s world is a lot darker than anything in Sanderson’s universe. This is grimdark fantasy after all, and Eleventh Cycle doesn’t shy away from the dark realities of war, reaching a level of despair and brutality on par with R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War. These four will all play a role in the fate of Minethria, as the mists start to close in as a result of the last 'seed' abandoning their duty. How do their stories all intertwine? Well.... you're gonna have to read to find out! THAT COVER! I mean oh my goodness me, it pops right off the screen doesn't it, but in real life, I can confirm it is even better! Such a striking image. We find ourselves in the world of Minethria, at the beginning of what is known as the Eleventh Cycle. In this world we have what are known as the Elders, the creator of this world being known as the Elder King. All Elders live in a mysterious mountain called Mount MorniarAnd in the center of all those stories, there is the Seed, the cause of the prophecies, the perspective that will be told from a third-person standpoint. And despite all that is expected, the Seed is just a child, incapable of understanding human emotions and making sense of this chaotic violent world. The book opens with the toll of a bell, announcing the start of the Eleventh cycle. We are introduced to our four main POVs as the world starts to react to this announcement. Kian spends the time dedicated to these characters, and exploring their trauma and how they carry it with them throughout their lives. He beautifully captures the struggles of growing into a teenager, exploring your sexuality and the struggles that can come with that.