Fell Winter

The Ulfr Crisis, Book 1

By: AJ Cooper

Narrated by: Kevin Killavey

Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

An evil not seen in hundreds of years has awakened in the highland nation of Badelgard. The Ulfr - the original inhabitants of the land whose evil was matched only by their power over death - stir from their barrows.

The dead walk again at the command of an Ulfr witch. The fate of the High King and the possession of the High Throne grow more and more uncertain. Tensions flare between the lowborn commoners and the highborn descendants of the Seven Wardens.

In the middle of it all, the lowborn musician Brand Gutlaffson is thrust into a perilous chase thanks to the foolish decisions of his friend, the warrior Gunnar Whoreson. Their midnight flight takes them to the accursed land of Blackfold, where the ancient Ulfr goddess waits for Her awakening.

The cold begins to set in. But there is more to fear than darkness and snow in this Fell Winter.

This book begins the "Ulfr Crisis" trilogy.

©2012 Andrew James Cooper (P)2013 Realms of Varda

A vicious and cruel world you'll love to visit

Cooper is one heck of an architect, as it seems he has some ncredible world building skills. The setting is so richly described and well thought out that you might think that it was a place that Cooper had visited as a child. God, I hope not as it really is a fell (to use his adjective) place. You know what the great thing about godforsaken places is? They tend to raise some interesting characters. People you will love reading about.

Not trying to make comparisons, but this really does have a Game of Thrones White Walker feel to it, barren land of ice and snow where the dead walk and are coming for the living might sound familiar, but Cooper manages to make it fresh and not at all like the GOT story you are probably expecting. That's the thing, too. This is a story driven book, the characters are interesting, I particularly liked the Whoreson, but it can play out perfectly well if one of them dies and another takes their place. Don't get me wrong, the character's are interesting, but it is the overall sweeping arc that pulls you forward.

The cover is just stunning, and harkens back to a time when te name Frazetta was an inspiration to fantasy fans all over the world. I would certainly hang this on my wall with pride. It is ominous and oppressive, as well as dominating and impressive. This cover pulled me into looking at the book harder than what I would have if just from a description.

Killavey does a nice job narrating, his voice fits the terrain, so to speak, as it is deep ahd hard and carries well to your ears. I just found his narration to be a little void of emotion as he read. He undoubtedly reads each and every line clearly and effortlessly, but it sometimes comes across as if that is exactly what he is doing, reading lines. He isn't bad, he just needs some polish and he will kill this job. Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. In fact, getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.

I look forward to the next book in the series, as I can't wait to see what happens next. Come in and step into a wonderful new world. You won't ne sorry.



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better than expected

the ending will leave you hanging for more. It starts out a typical fantasy book but then switches gears in you

Good

was a good book. leaves me wondering what happens next. the ending will be a complete surprise