Decimus Fate and the Talisman of Dreams (Decimus Fate #1)
Published April 8th 2020 by Blackheart Books, Paperback 256 pages
Decimus Fate is a new fantasy adventure by the author of Battle Mage.
When the members of a remote monastery are struck down by a mysterious illness, they enlist the aid of a former demon hunter and a man known as the Sage of Blackfell House. Setting out to find a cure, they soon find themselves caught in a web of danger from ruthless crime lords, vengeful assassins and evil magic users who draw their power from the realm of demons. But why should a mission of mercy attract such grave and dangerous threats? Because the Sage of Blackfell House was once a feared and notorious sorcerer and his name is Decimus Fate
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
*Spoiler Alert*
I'm one of those people who firmly believe that a fantasy book needs a Hero (or a villain) who isn't morally ambiguous; similarly, the central conflict has to be compelling.
I found no reason to root for the main characters, Decimus and Tutor, nor was I entirely invested in their survival or attempt at solving a mysterious illness. As a matter of fact, the only person I cared for was an orphan named Weasel who was probably on-page 6 or 7 times and that to me is a problem.
FRTC.
Rating: really liked it
First book. Good foundation This is hopefully the first book in a long series. It is so rich. Characters that make you want more. Story line that starts and end but so much more is buried with in the story. This author can take you in any direction. Tutor and Fate. Please more.
Rating: really liked it
Decimus Fate and the Talisman of Dreams is a new release by Peter Flannery, author of the best-selling epic, Battle Mage. This novel is a bit darker than the previous works I’ve read by this author, with characters that are more morally gray. I really enjoyed this one! The characters are well-drawn, complex, and sympathetic, and the plot is gripping.
The eponymous main character, Decimus Fate, is a complicated man. An extremely powerful sorcerer haunted by a dark past, he has sworn off the use of magic—which is unfortunate, because there are a lot of people who want to kill him for the crimes he committed. The plot of the novel throws him together with another man with an equally painful past, a demon-hunter who quit his order and gave up his sword. Now, the two must confront some very deadly foes while avoiding those who want Fate dead—all without the benefit of either’s renounced powers.
Also reviewed on BookNest: http://booknest.eu/reviews/number/1889
Decimus Fate is a very well thought-out novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters grow on you as they are fleshed out, while the plot hurls you ahead. Peter Flannery has a voice that is easy to read and transparent, disappearing beneath the story for an immersive reading experience.
The novel explores the theme of “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” After living a life as a slave to magic that caused him to commit unspeakable acts, Fate has renounced his power and has spent many years paying penance for his sins. When he gets in over his head, he is sorely tempted to fall back on those powers to save his own life, knowing that to do so would corrupt him.
I highly recommend this book to fans of epic fantasy who enjoy morally gray characters. It’s good, clean, fast-paced fiction.
Rating: really liked it
Really enjoyed BattleMage which was 5 stars for me so read this one but it was a hard slog unfortunately. Lots of reviews thought it was fast paced, good characters, gripping story but I must have missed all those bits. I am pretty confused tbh as there were several story threads that didn’t seem to come back to any relevance. Detail was given for things not so important to the story and then lacking in major plot lines as though this was meant to be a much longer book or just setting the scene for other books. Main issue for me was probably that I felt the stakes were never very high for the main characters and I was hoping for plot twists but everything just plodded along reasonably predictably.
Nevertheless I will definitely be reading any other books written by this author and recommend him to others.
Rating: really liked it
On a fluke I read Pete Flannery’s Battle Mage and simply loved it. At the time I was so excited that I rush to see if there was, or would be, a second part. I was completely disheartened when there wasn’t and wasn’t going to ever be. I added my name to Peter Flannery’s mailing list thinking I’d have to check out his next book when and if he wrote one.
I’m so glad I did!
This new book Decius Fate, awesome! Good thing I knew his name and didn’t even look at the book, I have a personal rule I won’t read a book with less then 400 pages.. I would have missed this awesome story !!! Thank goodness I didn’t! Not only was this book just as great as Battle Mage, it’s book 1!!! I’m very excited to know I’ll be able to follow Fate and Tutor’s future adventures!
Thank Peter Flannery, you’ve done it again!
Rating: really liked it
Took me a little while to get invested in this book but once I did I finished it in about two days. Excellent follow up to Battle Mage (even though I, more than anything, wanted this to be an extension of Battle Mage), and a fantastic read. Good characters who stay in my favorite place, firmly in the gray areas of morality. It all ties up into a nice little package in the end and all the solutions to the many problems come about without feeling forced or gimmicked. Highly recommend this and look forward to Mr. Flannery's next installment!
Rating: really liked it
Peter Flannery is a contender for becoming one of my favorite authors. I first read and loved Battle Mage, then read and greatly enjoyed First and Only before discovering this book. I enjoyed this one slightly less than the previous two, but I think that's just due to certain preferences I have than anything.
Most notably, I find myself impatient with multiple POVs nowadays. So the fact that this book had a handful fairly early and I still enjoyed myself speaks to the quality of the story. I found the characters interesting, but I never grew to care for any of them. I am more of a character reader as far as what hooks me, but the setting and plot were intriguing enough to make up for it.
There was a certain plot element that seemed designed to increase tension and make the reader think a certain thing, but it felt transparent to me, and my expectation did indeed manifest. The ending felt lackluster as a result. I had a similar experience with First and Only, but the predictability seemed to leech a bit more of my enjoyment in this one.
Overall I still enjoyed myself and Flannery's stock remains high. It seems that this book is meant to set up a series and I will read the next installment when it arrives.
Rating: really liked it
This was probably not a book I would normally have picked up but I won a Goodreads giveaway so thought I would give it a try. I was really pleasantly surprised...the writing and the story are both engaging and fun. Its a quick, easy, fun review.
Fate and the Tutor on the surface seem like such an unlikely partnership but it really works. I really enjoyed the mystery of the disease that was making all of the monks sick and Fate's ultimate resolution was so clever.
There are a few points I was a little confused by...I couldn't quite figure out where the prologue fit into the story and I wished there was a little more specifics on the reasons the Fate is no longer practicing magic and Tutor is no longer a demon hunter.
But in general, I really enjoyed the book. I wonder if the author is going to turn this into a series featuring Fate and Tutor. I would totally love that!
Rating: really liked it
Peter Flannery is definitely becoming a favorite author of mine. Battle Mage was one of the best standalone books I’ve had the pleasure of reading and now Decimus Fate is shaping up to be an equally great series. It’s a quick and easy read, but the characters and story is still rich. I can imagine a great series building from this type of writing style. More books more frequently as opposed to one larger book taking more time to be released
As for the book itself:
There’s something unique and fun about 2 characters who are very powerful, but don’t use that power. I thought it would annoy me that Fate wouldn’t use his super powerful magic and sometimes it did annoy me… but as the story progresses and more of the character’s character is revealed, things start to fall in place a little more. But the mystery is still there and leaves you wanting more of this unlikely duo
Rating: really liked it
Great start to a new series!I was extremely excited to see that Flannery had a new book out... Battlemage is the only book I would rank among the Lord of the Rings as my favorites. Of course I hoped this would be similar... it’s actually very different, I wouldn’t have guessed it was the same author, but it is excellent nonetheless & I am excited that unlike Battlemage, these great characters will carry on in future stories! Can’t wait to read more!
Rating: really liked it
This was a good read! Interesting characters in a solidly built fantasy world. The two main characters of Fate and Tutor share that they have turned away from their former careers (high end magic user and a king's demon hunter) and now seek to be more concerned about doing good in the world. But, their pasts are still influencing how others are treating them providing a challenges to their new lives.
Rating: really liked it
Yet another great read from FlanneryA great read from start to finish. Its a refreshing trend to read a book from start to finish that actually explains and furthers the story without making you wait until 3 books deep in a series, yet still leaves you wanting more and eagerly awaiting the next book. I'd rate it behind Battlemage, but only due to the length of the book.
Rating: really liked it
Highly enjoyable!I had recently read "Battle Mage" and I loved it. I thought that I'd give this a try, and it was a great story! I hope there will be another with these characters. Recommended!
Rating: really liked it
Although clearly not the Battle Mage, I found the quick pace enjoyable and the book was a solid read, thus, my five star review. I am somewhat new to fantasy, but read Sanderson and others. Flannery appears to be the best of the bunch, just my humble opinion.
Rating: really liked it
Can’t wait for the second bookI love the fact that this book is not part of a “7 book series” but can stand alone and has closure. It also leaves wanting to read the next one! Just a great piece of writing.
