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Timy

An exhilarating ride from start to finish

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2019

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The Written was the 4th book I’ve read from Ben Galley and I managed to do that in about 7 months. I think it was only the first 5 Harry Potter books that I’ve read in less time. Interestingly, I’ve read Galley’s latest trilogy, The Chasing Graves first, then continued with his debut. Normally people do it in reverse order. On the other hand, it gives me the opportunity to see how far he had come in the past 10 years or so. Of course I won’t compare the two series as they are completely different and besides that wouldn’t be fair. Despite the fact that lately I’ve been in a reading slump and started to get tired of epic fantasy, I really enjoyed The Written. It has some flaws, sure, but it also had some ideas I was really digging.

But first things first. Our MC, Farden is one of the famous Written. They are powerful mages, all of them carrying a Book on themselves. To be a Written is a privilage and not everyone survives the Ritual where one becomes one of the elite. Farden is one of the most powerul one and the one everyone fears. Farden is that kind of hero who stays in the background, does his job and doesn’t complain. Which doesn’t mean he isn’t battling with his own demons. He is far from being perfect – he is quick to anger, sometimes acts without thinking and likes to bend the rules. I found myself screaming in my head at him to stop being an idiot at times. Which shows that I got invested enough to have such strong reactions, and that’s always a bonus!

Farden is a lone wolfe type, but loyal to a fault toward a few people he cares about, and toward his people, the Arka. Thus when an important relic, a spellbook gets stolen, the council and the Arkmages turn to him for help. And Farden starts his journey to solve a mystery, to identify a traitor, to prevent a disaster and to forge a new alliance which seemed impossible for decades. All the while he not only sets out to save Emaneska but at the same time he discovers some new truths about the world he used to know and himself as a person. Admittedly, this road is not full of joy and laughter, especially when you have to face mortal danger and betrayal in every corner.

Besides Farden, we meet a large set of characters. Most of them are pretty well fleshed out. One of my favorites besides Farden were Eyrum a Siren warrior, Cheska a candidate to be a Written, Durnus the vampyre and Farden’s friend, Lazy the cat and Farfallen. Oh and let’s not forget about Vice either. Eyrum intrigues me for some reason, the fact that he and Farden find common ground pretty fast and forge a friendship, makes them a unusual pair. I really hope he’ll get a bigger part in rest of the trilogy. Cheska provided one of the surprises that actually caught me off guard. I really, really wish I could go into details (or share my notes I made during reading), because I want to rant so much. Let’s just say, even though I’ve guessed most of the twists, hers were one of the few that I didn’t see coming.

And since I’m talking about twists. The plot is really well crafted, but then I didn’t except anything less from Galley. It’s a bit predictable – or it was for me anyway – but The Written is nothing sort of enjoyable. Especially because Galley threw in quite a few fight scenes, and a couple of fanged clawed creatures to keep up the level of entertainment. There were a few ideas that I was really digging – the storm giants, for example. I’m pretty fascinated by storms and I’ve been toying with short story ideas featuring storms, though I suspect I wouldn’t be able to pull it off quite as well. The other thing I loved – besides anything about Nelska, seriously, read this book for the inhabitants of Nelska alone – was the Book of the Written. I’m a sucker for tattoos so I was all in for this idea. I wish it was a bit more explained how it works and the whole process of choosing magic schools and stuff, but hopefully – as they were a few hints and comments about the Book – there will be enough time to do that in the rest of the trilogy.

One thing that amazed me about The Written, was the worldbuilding. Emaneska is a vast place with Empires and countries covering it. There are the 3 ruling nations: Arka, Nelska and Skölgard with a few smaller ones besides, like Albion where Farden lives in one of the Arkabbeys, under Durnus’ command. We have Krauslung, the main city of the Arka where the council is ruled by the two Arkmages and the Undermage. Near to it there is the Spire, the home of the Written. Then we have Nelska, home of the Sirens and their dragons. Skölsgard haven’t got much role in The Written, but the ending predicts that they won’t be idle bystanders.

Although the main mystery of the book got solved – namely who was behind the attack on Arfell and the scholars – there are quite a few questions left open and plotlines which need to be resolved throughout the trilogy. And I’m totally here for it. Even though The Written is Ben Galley‘s debut novel, it already showed that he is a pretty skilled author and can create a vivid, cold – literally – world with full of life and magick. It already shows his affection toward dark fantasy, though he is not quite there yet. Admittedly, there is plenty of blood flowing and he doesn’t shy away from violence – hell, one of the characters pretty much enjoys it.

The Written is a character driven epic fantasy which features magic, swordplay, dragons, mythical monsters, betrayal and badass tattoos. If you haven’t tried Ben Galley yet, this is a good place to start, and if you did, well, then you know what you can expect. An exhilarating ride from start to finish.

michael

This book grows with Farden

Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2023

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3.5 stars for me. I rounded up because I can know that the writing will get better based off of the 2 short stories I read prior to this (The Weaver & the Wyrm and Iron Keys).

This was Mr. Galley's first novel, and it does show, especially in the beginning. If you stick with this book though, you will find that it has a deep plot and a wide and broad world, full of different races and creatures.

The world was probably my favorite part of the book. Learning about the different races was a lot of fun and I found myself excited anytime I was learning more about the history and lore if Emaneska.

Even though this book does have its flaws, I really enjoyed the story (especially the second half) and have bonded with these characters. I will definitely continue on with the Emaneska series and i'm excited to watch Farden grow.

Travis Hayden

The version of the Written I read...

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2022

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The version of the Written that I read was actually the Illustrated edition that was created during the Kickstarter. That edition, before I get into the meat of the review, was absolutely stunning. Ben and the people who put that all together did an amazing job. As for the Written, I thought it was a very strong introduction to the world of Emaneska. I really like the loose Norse inspiration as well. A few issues did hinder my enjoyment a little bit, but all around this was very well done and I want to continue on with the series.

The Written follows our main character of Farden who is like an outcast mage in this world but still renowned as one of the best. Farden is tasked with trying to discover who stole this all powerful spell book. That is the premise and all I really want to say about it. The characters were great all around and they all served a purpose in Farden's story. Some standouts were Durnus, Svarta, Farfallen, and Vice. As I said in the beginning this story is loosely based on Norse mythology, so anytime that happens I am sold immediately. But I thoroughly enjoyed Ben's take on it.

As for the weaker points of the overall book that prevented this book from being a knockout. I have three and they are all minor, more personal preference than anything. The first deals with chapter length, now I am one who loves a long chapter, however when the chapters start to feel long and I start to feel like progress is not being made, there in lies the problem. Again, minor issue. As for the second, the Written is primarily told from Farden's point of view, but there are the occasional few moments that we get additional POVs from other characters. Those particular moments don't always land. The last and I mean the last, is that there is a certain reveal towards the end of the book that should have hit harder then it actually did. I cannot go into it more due to spoilers, but still wanted to put that out there.

I was entertained from beginning to end. I read this incredibly fast because I did not want to put it down. Also Ben Galley is an amazing author and I see big and amazing things from him.

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P.L.

I am "all in" for continuing the Emaneska series!

Reviewed in Canada on February 3, 2023

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Ben Galley needs no introduction. Arguably, only a handful of other self-published fantasy authors have the combination of name-recognition among readers, influence in the Indie fantasy scene, and acclaim that Galley enjoys.

Galley's books have racked up awards such us Booknest Fantasy Awards, Library Journal Book of the Year, and numerous Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) semi-final and finals placements. A self-publishing consultant, he's also been a guest speaker in prestigious locations such as the London School of Economics. Galley is considered an influencer in the indie fantasy sphere, has published more than 13 books to-date, and is highly successful. But every illustrious writing career begins with one book, and for Galley that book was "The Written", Book One of the "Emaneska" Series.

I always like to read the first book ever written by established authors, even if I have heard their later works are a vast improvement, as is typical as writers grow and evolve. In this case in the month of April 2022, I was dedicated to reading four of the most lauded Indie grimdark writers, Galley being one of them. Thus, April 2022 became my #Grimdarkmasters reading month. So, due to all this, I read Galley's first book, "The Written", last month.

While his debut novel, the talent of Galley is plainly on display in "The Written", and I can see why this book launched Galley's current fame, assuming he has improved his writing since this first entry.

"The Written" begins as a bit of a murder mystery. A powerful mage from the land of Arka, whose identity is unknown, is summoned by five scholars who have uncovered something extremely dangerous in a powerful spell book. This is no uncommon danger, but an existential threat to humankind. But the mage, incomprehensibly, brutally slays the scholars, and steals the book.

Enter our protagonist, Farden. Farden is one of the brightest stars, one of the most feared mages and fierce fighters, and most seasoned and heralded veterans among all the mages. The mages in the book are an ancient order of warrior / magicians, who have spell books inked on their backs in the form of elaborate tattoos (amazing concept). Farden is tasked to find out what happened to the book, and who slew the scholars.

His journey takes him across the lands of Emaneska, where he encounters daunting magical adversaries, conspiracies, attempts to overcome ancient prejudices and hostilities to form alliances for the good of the world, and faces unseen betrayals and double-crossing. While he is by nature a bit of a loner, Farden needs the assistance of trusted long-time allies, and new, more shaky alliances, and his own formidable skills, to survive, and attempt to stop those who would risk destroying the world, to serve their own lust for power.

I found Farden to be a very interesting character, and a good lead for the book. We get several other POVs, in smaller snippets, but Farden is the focus of the narrative. The mage is at moments recalcitrant, impulsive, brash, and is moody, mercurial, and also somewhat introverted and brooding. Yet he is very much dutiful, loyal to his friends, and courageous to a fault. He can also show humility, along with some pettiness at moments, that made him a very believable person.

There were some great secondary characters, but Farfallen the old dragon was definitely my favourite, with the vampyre Durnus and Svarta the Siren Queen also stand-outs.

Galley richly populates his Emaneska world - seemingly loosely based on our own world, with Albion standing in for Britain, for example - with every manner of beloved fantasy creatures from our favourite tropes. Wyrms, dragons, vampyres, lycans, and more (storm giants???!!!) appear on the pages of The Written, which will delight many a fantasy fan. The worldbuilding feels rich, including the magical school of the mages in the Arkan capital of Arfell.

On a special note, I mentioned: dragons. Many of us love them, and we want to see them well-done and Galley does an exceptional job here, and with all the supernatural creatures in the story. They all have their own unique feel, culture, idiosyncrasies, customs.

The fight scenes are plenty furious, breathtaking, and the magical element added to these combat sequences really made for some thrilling reading. With a very intricate and hard magic system, where the reader will develop an excellent understanding of how magic is wielded, its consequences, who has more magical power than who, and what is a talisman rather than what or who can independently use magic without needing a conduit.

In terms of the themes, I can see now where the genesis of Galley into truly dark fantasy began. For example, the school for the Written is no cake-walk, but a brutal, unforgiving trial, where many young aspirants don't survive. The Arkmage / Undermage politics I found very compelling and ruthless, and that was awesome, as I love me some great political intrigue. And I particularly found the lycan story to be very dark, emotive, and I felt sorry for him, and wanted to know even more about him.

Here I must comment on and give credit to Galley for his fabulous prose. I was enamoured of it from the book's lovely opening lines:

"It was snowing outside. The white flakes drifted lazily in the chill night breeze, dusting the rocky mountainside with an ivory blanket. Ice crystals flurried and spun, dancing through the cold night air, skittering along the windowsill. By all rights, it was a foul night for Arfell."

"The Written" is an invigorating, very well-written, character-driven epic fantasy, and checks all the boxes in terms of being epic in scope, filled with magic, creatures, heroes, sword fights, betrayals, murder, and intrigue. This is yet another example of a book where the tropes are done so well, it does not matter a hoot that there are tropes.

The ending of the book was fantastic, and surprising, and I am all in for continuing the Emaneska series.

4.5 stars for "The Written"!

Peter Buckmaster

"The hook for with me with Ben's books is the clever concepts he comes up with."

Reviewed in Japan on May 10, 2021

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I've been a fan of Ben Galley since I read "Heart of Stone". I followed that with the Chasing Graves trilogy and it was nice to finally begin my journey in Emaneska. HoT and CG were more in line with modern grimdark (imho). The Written definitely falls into more traditional fantasy territory with its plethora of magic & monsters, but has the dark edge I've come to associate with Galley's works.
The hook for with me with Ben's books is the clever concepts he comes up with. Here magic is literally written onto the skin of the mages, and if one were to read this... Well, I'll let you find that one out yourself. There is a reason it's written on their backs!
I have to admit Farden took a while to grow on me. He initially came across as a bit of a grim grumpy guy, but as the story progresses, layers were added. His interaction with the Sirens and their dragons was particularly enjoyable. And the dragons here felt fresh, despite them being a creature that has been done countless times in fantasy. Maybe it's their relationship with the riders, maybe it's their characters. The book definitely moved up a gear when Farden was with ***** and team.
Another interesting ingredient is that Farden's close ally is a vampire. He's a noble sort, if you can ignore his blood-sucking tendencies.
I'm glad Ben has continued this series, and by all accounts, has poured a lot of his heart into Emaneska, as there are almost too many ideas in The Written. Knowing that there is a lot more to come, and presumably we'll learn more/hear more/explore more, is reassuring!
Keep them coming, Monsieur Galley!

Scott Saunders

What a start to a new series - Emaneska

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2022

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Book Review - The Written

The Written is my first venture into books by Ben Galley.

I’ve been saying this a lot this year but what has taken me so long to start this series. I’ve had the full series sitting on my kindle for sometime, but for one reason or another I’ve just never picky it up. Until now!

The Written is the first book in the 4 book Emaneska Series.

We follow the story through the POV of Farden a powerful but troubled Mage from Arka.

Farden is also a Written, a Written is a powerful Mage with a magic book tattooed on their back. To become a Written you have to go through a long extensive training program and then hope you survive the final ritual.

During said ritual the mage will endure the painful process for 3 days.
Only half of the mages actually survive the ritual.

The Written has a very classical fantasy feel to it. There a number of different creatures and races, from humans, vampyres, Lycans, mages and dark elves. The best would be the holy grail of fantasy creatures - The Dragons.

The story starts with thief of a mysterious book by an unnamed assailant and expands into a epic adventure of action, twisting betrayal, love and loss.

The final 40% of this book was a real page turner with so much action, twist and turns a plenty and big reveals, setting up the next book nicely.

To be fair the whole book was pretty good for its pace but the final 40% flew by.

Some of the revelations I managed to guess before they were officially revealed, while others I did not. However this didn’t detract from the enjoyment when the revelation revealed itself.

One of the bests parts to this book is the action. We do get some really great fight scenes. From 1 on 1 single combat, to massive battle scenes.

As you would expect the magick is at the forefront of the fighting but do not think this is just a wave of a hand and it’s all over. Quite the opposite, we get some lengthy scenes of action.

If you like fighting mages, dark magick and a political intrigue, I would definitely recommend you give The Written a go.

Looking forward to starting book 2 - Pale Kings

Rating 9/10 ⭐️

Andy Green

4.5/5 Stars Fast-Paced, High Octane, Unrelenting High Fantasy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 5, 2021

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I have been eying this book for a while, drawn by the amazing cover art and intrigued by the description. It has been out for a while (released in 2011) and looks to have gone through several editorial sweeps since then.

This is high-fantasy and the story captures mythical and fantastical creatures from across the wide spectrum of the genre and mashes them together brilliantly. Now I know reading is very subjective, it’s a bit like baking a cake. Some readers will love what the author has done and embrace the stereotypes that are unabashedly used, others won’t. Some like a dark rich chocolate cake, I don’t. The thing is, I don’t eat dark chocolate cake and so if you read the description and like the sound of it, then you will love the book because it delivers on that promise. If you don’t then don’t eat the cake, it is not for you.

So first up, I loved the story, it was well-plotted with loads of twists and turns and ladened with action that is pretty much unrelenting. The descriptive narrative was vivid and sketched wonderful images in my mind.

The story is written in the 3rd person and is almost entirely focused around our protagonist, Farden, one of the few Written Mages. I loved the concept of a mage with an archaic script, a magical tome inked upon their back. Each Written's script is uniquely crafted, once they pass the years of trials.

We join Farden, a hardened, lone-wolf mage (as most of the Written tend to be) as he battles a wyrm and so you get to see (read) him in action from the get-go. I must confess, I was not immediately drawn to our hero. He was dangerous and brooding but not particularly pleasant though as the story progressed I was sucked into his life and the little reveals that the author drops that added depth and reason to who/why he is like he is. By a third in I was invested in this guy.

Farden is flawed which seems to be a trait these days, you can’t have a hero unless he or she is flawed, and he has many, his temper and tendency to not trust or rely on others, his overriding desire to be better than his failed uncle which hinders him more than helps and his addiction. The addiction by the way is brilliantly written and wonderfully evoked and that in and of itself makes Farden pretty original in the genre. I liked that his addiction was an antithesis to his other addiction, magic.

The story was kind of machiavellian except that there were not enough characters of detail to add that much jeopardy. I was not surprised by any of the twists but that does not mean they weren’t deliciously delivered and the scale of the badassery I fully admit to under-estimating.

At the end of the day, an author has one job to do and that is to tell a story that will keep their reader, at worst engaged and at best enthralled. Well, this story enthralled me. In fact, there are few writers, especially indie writers, that inspire me to want to write better and Ben did that for me.

I don’t need to tell you this but I will. I loved this story. It is like a guilty pleasure and the best news is, it’s only the first in the series.

paul nelson

excellent debut novel

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2013

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Sometimes your initial expectations of a book can leap twofold simply by its cover, this is one of those books, a mage walking away or into battle, sword in one hand and a fireball in the palm of his other hand. Thankfully the book didn't disappoint in the slightest.

This novel is set in a world called Emaneska, the Arka are ruled from their capital city Krauslung by the magick council & the Arkmages. To become a mage one must first go through the intense school of training and finally undertake the ritual, where words of power are tattooed across the shoulders and back. A dangerous undertaking as not all pass the trials.

The majority of the story is told from the viewpoint of the protagonist Farden, a quick tempered, formidable and powerful mage, with complex tattoo's. The tattoo's can eventually drive a mage to madness and Farden was the last to have the words of four of the key elements written on his body. Even reading a mage's tattoo's can bring on the madness.

The scholars have discovered an old book of magic at the libraries of Arfell from the time of the Elves, a spell prevents the book from being opened, a dangerous book of summoning magic that can release daemons and an entity that if released could destroy the world. The book is stolen and five scholars are dead, the magick council enlist Farden to track down the stolen book. Entangled in a web of lies, Farden must travel far and enlist the help of the old enemies, the dragons and together they must search for an old well of magick needed by the unknown enemy for the summoning spells to work.

The interaction with the dragons and the Siren race are well described and a pivotal part of the story, Farden brings an uneasy peace to the two races and returns a tear book to the dragons on which is stored many years of memories.
This is a debut novel and there are flaws, introductions of Fardens close friend a vampyre and also a lycan follow well worn threads. Also the use of a banned drug used by Farden which deadens his talent is a little hard to digest but overall this is a well written story, fast paced with plenty of action, encouraging a quick read.

The plot twists and turns very well, friends and lovers are not all they seem and the final battle against an unstoppable assailant is an excellent climax.
I enjoyed this enough to continue straight away with the second novel.

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