Community Reviews. In the Eye of Heaven is a gritty novel which shows Keck's outstanding wealth of knowledge regarding the Middle Ages. The glamour of sleep arrangements filled with nits and fleas and in the impossibilities of upward socio-economic movement for a second son, and the interference of gods.
DNF at 40%I tried. I really tried, but the prose is just too dense and decorative for me. I made it to 40% in and feel like only 1 truly notable event has happened to direct the plot. I'm certain that there's a cool story with really great world building buried somewhere in here. I would catch glimpses of it from time to time, but then whatever had briefly caught my attention would slip away. What I read of this seemed less like a true narrative of events, and more like random mini-episodes of D DNF at 40%I tried. I really tried, but the prose is just too dense and decorative for me.
I made it to 40% in and feel like only 1 truly notable event has happened to direct the plot. I'm certain that there's a cool story with really great world building buried somewhere in here.
I would catch glimpses of it from time to time, but then whatever had briefly caught my attention would slip away. What I read of this seemed less like a true narrative of events, and more like random mini-episodes of Durand's adventures around this massive fantasy land.So many characters. So many random names of people and places and Gods and Monsters and very little of the important glue of plot movement to tie it all together.
I found myself re-reading more and more paragraphs, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. It's not you book, it's me. I think fans of high fantasy with extremely heavy world building will enjoy this, though this is clearly a novel that makes its readers work for it. If you're looking for a challenge, give this a go!Withholding a starred rating as I did not finish this.Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for approving me for an ARC! Ahoy there me mateys!
I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings.I really wanted to like this debut fantasy novel. It was compared to Glen Cook and the adjectives 'gritty' and 'medieval' were used. One of me favourite author's, Tamora Pierce, gave it a four-star review on Goodreads and read it twice. Hence its appeal.
But this one just did not float me boat. Instead I had to abandon ship and watch it sink to the watery depths n Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings.I really wanted to like this debut fantasy novel. It was compared to Glen Cook and the adjectives 'gritty' and 'medieval' were used. One of me favourite author's, Tamora Pierce, gave it a four-star review on Goodreads and read it twice. Hence its appeal.
But this one just did not float me boat. Instead I had to abandon ship and watch it sink to the watery depths never to be seen again.
I just found the writing style to be dense and confusing. I would have liked the plot to be more focused. Also I found the main character, Durand, to be rather flat and not compelling.
I thought I was going to get a character that I didn't necessarily find admirable but would root for almost despite meself. Some of me crew members are highly enjoying this one but the little bit that I read was less than stellar.So lastly.Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!Check out me other reviews at. Durand is a second son, condemned to the life of a wandering sellsword unless he can get lands of his own.
His first chance is ruined when the heir, thought to have drowned, returns on the eve of Durand's knighting. Set on the road by a god called the Traveller, Durand enters the service of a cruel knight who drowns his wife's lover and sets Durand as one of the guards when he walls the lady and her baby in a tower room. Durand leaves, to enter the service of the lady's brother.He too is lookin Durand is a second son, condemned to the life of a wandering sellsword unless he can get lands of his own.
His first chance is ruined when the heir, thought to have drowned, returns on the eve of Durand's knighting. Set on the road by a god called the Traveller, Durand enters the service of a cruel knight who drowns his wife's lover and sets Durand as one of the guards when he walls the lady and her baby in a tower room. Durand leaves, to enter the service of the lady's brother.He too is looking for redemption of a kind as he leads his men from tournament to tournament, trying to prove his worth to his king, his father, and his wife. The knights who follow hope he will win enough fame and money to give each of them lands of their own. And Durand-Durand just can't seem to put a foot right. That, or the gods are testing him, by throwing supernatural traps of every kind in his way.The story is grounded in the economic realities of the Middle Ages, and there are mystic elements over that-a realm that appears only every seven years to host a tournament, a priesthood in black that spreads evil wherever it goes, rituals that must be repeated or everything goes to pieces. It's a dark story, and you do wish that Durand would keep his temper better, but it's a gripping read (my second).
In The Eye of Heaven is something that has been on my reading list for a few years now that I’ve never seem to found the time to actually read. So when I found out that the last book in the trilogy was going to be releasing later this year and that the first two books were getting reissued in trade paperback I knew it was the perfect time to finally read it. It honestly took me a little while to actually get into the book but once I did I loved almost everything about it and spent my entire day In The Eye of Heaven is something that has been on my reading list for a few years now that I’ve never seem to found the time to actually read.
So when I found out that the last book in the trilogy was going to be releasing later this year and that the first two books were getting reissued in trade paperback I knew it was the perfect time to finally read it. It honestly took me a little while to actually get into the book but once I did I loved almost everything about it and spent my entire day off laying in bed reading it and mentally berating myself for waiting so long to do so.David Keck is a great author and there was a lot that I enjoyed about this book, but I there were two things that really stood out about if for me.
First, In The Eye of Heaven has one of the most realistic and believable worlds I’ve read about in a long time now. I can’t even imagine that amount of time the author had to put into creating to be able to describe in such great detail. Normally I think getting into the grimy details of a world can bog down a story, I think it gives the world some verisimilitude. I didn’t have any problems picturing the world or the people in my mind at all.The other thing that I think really made this book stand out was what a fantastic protagonist it had. Durand is a good man in a world of corruption and greed who wants nothing more than to be a good knight who can make a difference in that world. I felt like at every turn of the story there was someone or something there to knock Durand on his ass and to get in the way of his goals and every time it happened Durand managed to fight his back back to his feet and show he won’t be kept down. I think Durand is probably one of the best characters I’ve read about so far this year and if he’s anything like this in the rest of the series then he’s going to easily become one of my all time favorite characters.The only complaint I really have about In The Eye of Heaven is that I felt like the pacing was a bit off with the story and that the plot would wander off in weird directions occasionally.
Things felt a bit dragged out in the beginning and rushed in the end, but happily I don’t think that really affected how much I enjoyed the book. I think the amazing world and its characters more than make up for some minor pacing issues.This is a book that I will definitely be recommending to anyone looking for a new fantasy series to read. I cant wait to find out what happens next in the series and can’t decide now whether I want to get the ebook or wait for the trade paperback if and when they reissue it.I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is what I like to call a 'heartbreak' book. It's what I call books that I really really wanted to like but in the end just couldn't. This book tells a tale of a young knight-to-be Durand, as he travels across an Arthurian fantasy kingdom gone bad, first in search of employment and then in search of redemption.
This is dark fantasy with a lot of violence, gritty details, mature language and situations, and bleak choices with a lot of intriguing details. It is clear that the author has put a This is what I like to call a 'heartbreak' book. It's what I call books that I really really wanted to like but in the end just couldn't. This book tells a tale of a young knight-to-be Durand, as he travels across an Arthurian fantasy kingdom gone bad, first in search of employment and then in search of redemption. This is dark fantasy with a lot of violence, gritty details, mature language and situations, and bleak choices with a lot of intriguing details. It is clear that the author has put a lot of effort and imagination into the setting and that part of the book really pays off.
I was very interested in the lore of the setting and its history, and there are some great vivid descriptions of monsters and locations. This book is full of interesting new ideas and twists on the familiar tropes of the genre.However, as a novel, as a narrative, 'In the Eye of Heaven' falls apart. First, there are no characters to root for. I get that Durand is supposed to live in a complicated world with no black-and-white morality and he's supposed to be a flawed character, but even a flawed character should have some traits that keep the audience's interest in his fate. Here, our main protagonist is shallow, two-dimensional, usually quite passive, impulsive and lacks anything that might make the reader root for him. Other characters (with one exception of a wandering skald who provides much of the exposition and comic relief) are similarly repulsive, boring and two-dimensional.
The plot takes a while to get going, suffers some awful pacing throughout, and is often quite confusing; the big twist and payoff at the end comes far too late and is too abrupt to make a difference.Then we need to talk about Keck's style, his prose. I'm really not sure what effect he was trying to achieve in this book, but if his effect was to leave the reader confused and disoriented then he has succeeded. I've got a few university degrees, I've taken a few courses on creative writing and novel editing and I still couldn't understand clearly what was happening in many passages throughout the book! The author's prose was confusing, stuttering (it lacked flow) and was often a chore to read. Oh, and the author clearly loves a few words and expressions. If you take a drink for every time Keck uses the word 'brute' to describe a horse, person or some monsters, you will pass out 20 pages in.My desire to find out more about the setting, uncover the lore of the truly fascinating dark Arthurian world that Keck has created, kept me reading until the end.
But the author's frustrating prose, poor pacing and lack of any compelling characters convinced me not to give the second book in the series a try. David Keck is capably of vivid and interesting descriptions and has a wonderful imagination and eye for details, but he needs to work on his characterization, pacing and prose. I also feel that getting a better editor might have made this book much better than what it turned out to be. As it is, I'd advise a pass but keep an eye on the author's future works. Went for an author I had never heard of this time around since I don't have access to my own library. Interesting start. Different writing style, have not decided if I like it yet.
But I'm fascinated with the setting and story, so onward we go!So! Very good book.
I found the mythos and the pantheon of this world very fascinating and was distracted at first by the writing style. Felt I was missing something or really wanted to know more about the gods and the history. As I went a Went for an author I had never heard of this time around since I don't have access to my own library. Interesting start. Different writing style, have not decided if I like it yet. But I'm fascinated with the setting and story, so onward we go!So!
Very good book. I found the mythos and the pantheon of this world very fascinating and was distracted at first by the writing style. Felt I was missing something or really wanted to know more about the gods and the history. As I went along the characters drew me in and I learned that even they didn't know that much about their gods and their history. Gritty and a little disjointed this book kept me captivated and interested until the very end. Definitely NOT for everyone. I'm giving Mr.
Keck five stars for this first novel. Now to see if I can find the next one. Great story, with characters that you can really get behind. The protagonist doesn't always act as I would act, but he is completely supported by the development preceding his decisions.The Arthur-Gueniveur-Lancelot love triangle is a little trite, but you can't argue too much with a theme that has had that much success.The characters have you yelling at them in your head as you read, and only afterward do you realize how invested you have become in their story.Well written, well developed, go Great story, with characters that you can really get behind. The protagonist doesn't always act as I would act, but he is completely supported by the development preceding his decisions.The Arthur-Gueniveur-Lancelot love triangle is a little trite, but you can't argue too much with a theme that has had that much success.The characters have you yelling at them in your head as you read, and only afterward do you realize how invested you have become in their story.Well written, well developed, good plot. I knew going into this that I was reading a pretty divisive novel and that people who disliked it.really.
disliked it. The multiple one star and DNF'ed reviews almost put me off this thing but it had been a bit since I read some fantasy and I figured I might as well give this thing a shot. I can honestly say it surprised me, both in tone and narrative style, and that I found myself increasingly fascinated during my read-through. I almost never dog-ear or note mark pages but I got so caught up i I knew going into this that I was reading a pretty divisive novel and that people who disliked it.really. disliked it. The multiple one star and DNF'ed reviews almost put me off this thing but it had been a bit since I read some fantasy and I figured I might as well give this thing a shot. I can honestly say it surprised me, both in tone and narrative style, and that I found myself increasingly fascinated during my read-through.
I almost never dog-ear or note mark pages but I got so caught up in the lore and the mythos of this world that I started keeping track of juicy bits of exposition wherever they infrequently cropped up.In summary, it's a pretty simple story- as the second son of a smaller barony, Durand has no choice but to try and make a name for himself by becoming a knight-errant and attracting the attention of a lord or duke through his tourney prowess or heroics. While he initially sets off alone, it doesn't take Durand long to fall in with some pretty bad company and to become complicit (through lack of protest) in some of their nastier deeds. The rest of the novel has to do with Durand righting his wrongs and thwarting these Bad People when the true scope of their ambition becomes clear.Where the novel really worked for me though, was in its subtle and layered world building and its careful construction of a fantasy realm that gives 'grim' a new meaning.
This is a place that would make a fog-shrouded English moor look cheerful, that's haunted by the restless dead and tethered ghosts of men who have been swept up in past wrongdoings, doomed to relive through their mistakes again and again. It's a land where the Lost and the Banished lurk just beneath the surface and where spirits that have more in common with dark folktales than your typical fantasy creatures populate eerie woods, silent rivers, and the unquiet ocean. There's a deep and organic history to this world with an underlying mythology that we're given just enough hints about to tease together into a coherent narrative. It was an absolutely original and inspired world and I loved it despite (or maybe because of) its perpetual hauntedness.Kecks' writing is fantastic for the setting and just worked here for me- he writes sparsely but beautifully, and is damn good at drawing out the eeriness and wrongness of some of the more chilling scenes.
He gives the novel a definite sense of gravitas and even though we are swept from one event to the next to the next, it never feels overwhelming or awkwardly paced. Things flow into each other with purpose and inevitability.The characters serve their purpose within the story but they're not the strong point or even truly the focus. I did grow to like several of the more prominent characters but none of them approach three-dimensionality or even have much of a strong personality to root for.
This includes Durand- the focal point of the narrative- but, oddly enough, I was OK with this. The world takes front and center stage here with the characters acting out their roles within it.
One sentence review: A realistic portrayal of the Middle Ages that meanders a bit too much for my taste.I have decided to forego the 'quick summary' section. The story travels so many paths, I cannot provide an adequate or meaningful summary.In the Eye of Heaven is a gritty novel which shows Keck's outstanding wealth of knowledge regarding the Middle Ages. The glamour of sleep arrangements filled with nits and fleas and in the impossibilities of upward socio-economic movement for a second son, One sentence review: A realistic portrayal of the Middle Ages that meanders a bit too much for my taste.I have decided to forego the 'quick summary' section.
The story travels so many paths, I cannot provide an adequate or meaningful summary.In the Eye of Heaven is a gritty novel which shows Keck's outstanding wealth of knowledge regarding the Middle Ages. The glamour of sleep arrangements filled with nits and fleas and in the impossibilities of upward socio-economic movement for a second son, and the interference of gods. (It is a fantasy, after all.)The reader is captivated by the world Keck has created.
It is dark, and the lore is fascinating. It is one of the most well-developed worlds I have visited in a while; it feels as real as our own.However.Keck seems to have written several stories and combined them to create a book that is not entirely cohesive. The glue which holds the tales together is lengthy bits of tiresome prose. As a Steven Erikson reader, I am used to a certain level of side paths and questions left unsolved for several novels. However, Erikson always pushes his stories forward in a unified direction.
The plot pushes ever onward until the merging point is reached at last. Keck has not figured out the recipe to connect the action with a central goal. This lack of overarching focus, mixed with uncompromisingly cruel pacing, left me disappointed and tired. At times, reading this novel feels like a punishment.Once again, I have encountered a book that leaves me confused. Rather than decide if this is an enjoyable read or a problematic march through quicksand in the rain, I will allow myself the joy of the world and the disappointment of the storyline. Yet, perhaps that is Keck's intention. Rarely (read 'never') is life a straightforward march of clear purpose or reason.
Maybe the difficulties I encountered are intentional to allow the reader to entertain the idea that Durand is a real knight that we have forgotten. I just prefer my reality to be a mess of confusing plot points and my fantasy novels to have intention and direction.Additionally, I did not like the main character enough to spend time with him more than necessary. He felt shallow and flat.
This made it even more difficult for me to enjoy the - at times - random sequence of events.I think those who enjoy high fantasy and detailed-works can have a lot of fun with this novel. Perhaps, this is even better appreciated slowly, revisited between other books. While this is a gritty novel, it is not the kind of story most grim-dark readers tend to seek out. The characters are just not well-developed in the way of Abercrombie, Lawrence, Spark-Smith, etc.Thank you to NetGalley for providing a platform from which I was able to receive an eARC of the rerelease from Tor-Forge Books and David Keck. This was fine.
I finished it. I also found myself wondering why, in an age of such audacious, fresh, invigorating storytelling celebrating diverse authors and #OwnVoices narratives, a publisher would re-release this specific book. It's not bad. Not really where fantasy readers live anymore, what with its prototypically white, Western-European, Medieval world and its prototypically white, cisgender, heterosexual young man who needs to come of age. And sleep with some pre Well.
This was fine. I finished it. I also found myself wondering why, in an age of such audacious, fresh, invigorating storytelling celebrating diverse authors and #OwnVoices narratives, a publisher would re-release this specific book. It's not bad.
Not really where fantasy readers live anymore, what with its prototypically white, Western-European, Medieval world and its prototypically white, cisgender, heterosexual young man who needs to come of age. And sleep with some pretty woman he can't have. Split loyalties.
Arthur & Lancelot. Untouchable Guinevere.
Fey, cursed sex with Guinevere. I thought we'd burnt the rule book that said we had to retread Monmouth and Tennyson? I can't say with good conscience this book is bad. There's definitely something there. But apart from glimpses from time to time, I never quite caught what that is. It is most of the time buried under strange names and strange plots.I have no problem with strange names and strange plots, but they should be reasonable.
Names are good, if they have background stories. Plots are good if they waive into something coherent. Neither happen in this book, and so I feel lost all the time, like who is thi I can't say with good conscience this book is bad. There's definitely something there. But apart from glimpses from time to time, I never quite caught what that is. It is most of the time buried under strange names and strange plots.I have no problem with strange names and strange plots, but they should be reasonable.
Names are good, if they have background stories. Plots are good if they waive into something coherent. Neither happen in this book, and so I feel lost all the time, like who is this god? He did this for what? Why did his lance stop flying?
Was it because. Magic???So I ditched it at 50%. Very GoodThis book was written with a foundation similar to most fantasy novels - You have the erstwhile squire - coming of age via his trek of errantry. What makes this book different is a land itself and the special mysteries surrounding it. The MC quest is not cut and dry everything is shrouded - you can’t tell if something is really happening until another character mentions it a chapter later. I can see why some people would find it frustrating but I found it interesting and kept me on my t Very GoodThis book was written with a foundation similar to most fantasy novels - You have the erstwhile squire - coming of age via his trek of errantry.
What makes this book different is a land itself and the special mysteries surrounding it. The MC quest is not cut and dry everything is shrouded - you can’t tell if something is really happening until another character mentions it a chapter later. I can see why some people would find it frustrating but I found it interesting and kept me on my toes.
In the Eye of Heaven is a readable book, but on further reflection, it's pretty bad. Probably the one thing the author did best was creating a realistic (sometimes meaning gross-flea-ridden beds and so forth) medieval setting. And I found the plot easy enough to follow: sure, unexplained supernatural things happen, but it's reasonable (one would assume) for the supernatural to be a little bizarre.At any rate, most of the plot involves a young man named Durand attaching himself to lords' retinu In the Eye of Heaven is a readable book, but on further reflection, it's pretty bad.
Probably the one thing the author did best was creating a realistic (sometimes meaning gross-flea-ridden beds and so forth) medieval setting. And I found the plot easy enough to follow: sure, unexplained supernatural things happen, but it's reasonable (one would assume) for the supernatural to be a little bizarre.At any rate, most of the plot involves a young man named Durand attaching himself to lords' retinues in an attempt to make a living after losing his inheritance; a good part of the book is spent traveling with one lord from tournament to tournament, but there is some non-tournament action. Another plus is that this is no Xerox fantasy; even though a lot of the names (Radomor, Ferangore, Alwen, etc.) sound like they came from Tolkien's notes, the plot was not one I'd seen before.
I found the physical descriptions adequate; yes, Durand is described within the first couple chapters, as are other characters when they're introduced. Female characters are a little flat, but this seems to be because they play understandably small roles in the men's world of knight-errantry. And the writing is serviceable. Well, the characters. The way they talk. Not in complete sentences.But I'm sure this is intentional; some real people talk that way too.Now for the negatives.
I was quite put off by Durand's character. He was a selfish boor. For instance, at one point he burns down a bridge and murders a man simply because the captain of his party wants to one-up an old rival, and Durand thinks this action will help and wants to curry favor. He never even shows remorse. Creating an unlikable protagonist is always risky; making it work requires at the very least the awareness that your character is a jerk and the intention to write him that way, but it doesn't seem that Keck had either. He's far too easy on Durand, letting him commit all sorts of selfish and immoral actions as in the example above, and substituting occasional brief bouts of self-pity for any genuine conscience.
This might work if the narrative or the other characters' reactions to Durand indicated that, well, that's the point. But they don't. Apparently we're supposed to view him as a Great Fantasy Hero.And then, no one in the cast felt three-dimensional to me (maybe that's why I wasn't bothered by the woman thing). Many non-supernatural aspects of the plot were unrealistic-for instance, characters get grave wounds, but somehow (no magic involved) within 24 hours they're up fighting, spending all day on horseback, or doing hard labor.
We're talking broken bones and medieval remedies here. Then there's this spooky land that we're told no one ever visits, only for the entire cast (separately) to show up there later. And although Radomor 'usurping' the throne through legal proceedings is supposed to be an important part of the book, it's never explained why he would take over if the king abdicated, seeing as how the king has brothers who would be next in the line of succession. And so forth.In conclusion: this book is nothing spectacular, but it made for entertaining reading for a couple of days; the pacing was brisk enough to keep me going. And the plot is complete enough in itself that it doesn't demand moving on to the sequel (I don't plan to). If you tend to enjoy medieval fantasy even when it's not at its best, go right ahead; less enthusiastic fans of the genre may be disappointed.
When I first picked this book up, I found it distressingly uneven. I liked the Dark-Ages aesthetic (here's a book where the protagonist thinks nothing of sleeping on flea-infested mattresses and regularly cowers in terror from threats both human and supernatural), and certain bits definitely left an impression - a rather agonizing description of a medieval trip to the dentist especially has stuck with me.
But the main character never grabbed my attention; frankly, he reminded me of a heroine in When I first picked this book up, I found it distressingly uneven. I liked the Dark-Ages aesthetic (here's a book where the protagonist thinks nothing of sleeping on flea-infested mattresses and regularly cowers in terror from threats both human and supernatural), and certain bits definitely left an impression - a rather agonizing description of a medieval trip to the dentist especially has stuck with me. But the main character never grabbed my attention; frankly, he reminded me of a heroine in a romance novel in that he seemed a passive placeholder for the reader rather than a person in his own right.
While I admire the author's skill at world-building, I far prefer character-driven stories, and the characters just weren't that interesting - they seemed to be little more than sketched-out archetypes, driven by the whim of their environment.Having given it some thought, however, it strikes me that this was probably the author's intention; such a style had any number of 'classic' literary antecedents ( and come to mind, especially). But frankly, I find said style to waver between 'tiresomely pretentious' and 'just plain annoying', so I think on the whole I'm the wrong person to be judging it.Taking the above into consideration, I'm giving the book three stars - it didn't grab me, but I think the author did at least a moderately good job achieving what he set out to do. I really enjoyed this.I'll say this; at times it's a bit disjointed. I took this to be, however, not a failing of the writing, but an attempt by the author to portray the confusion and bewilderment of the main character. It feels a bit like some of the traditional Celtic stories I've read; the characters are spun about by powers beyond their control for quite a bit before they find the one moment that they can act.
Maybe that's me being charitable, but it worked for me anyways.The world has a ni I really enjoyed this.I'll say this; at times it's a bit disjointed. I took this to be, however, not a failing of the writing, but an attempt by the author to portray the confusion and bewilderment of the main character. It feels a bit like some of the traditional Celtic stories I've read; the characters are spun about by powers beyond their control for quite a bit before they find the one moment that they can act. Maybe that's me being charitable, but it worked for me anyways.The world has a nice depth to it as well. There is obviously far more to the background than we ever get actually explained to us in this book. At times that can be a bit annoying, when the characters obviously understand the meaning of something that I don't, but overall I think it makes the world feel more real.Write on Mr. Keck; I'll keep an eye out for the next one.
Recommend this book to anyone who loves medieval war fantasies. This dashing book differs from most in that it has a Dark Ages flair, and the author expects the reader to leap into its world with both feet and make the journey to enlightenment along with the protaganist, Durand of Col. Religion and mysticism guide daily life, with might stiving to put right. There's plenty of action for the martial readers, and the plot never lets up, not for a moment.I'll leave the synopsis to the booksellers: Recommend this book to anyone who loves medieval war fantasies.
This dashing book differs from most in that it has a Dark Ages flair, and the author expects the reader to leap into its world with both feet and make the journey to enlightenment along with the protaganist, Durand of Col. Religion and mysticism guide daily life, with might stiving to put right.
There's plenty of action for the martial readers, and the plot never lets up, not for a moment.I'll leave the synopsis to the booksellers: suffice it to say that I'm loaning this hard-worn paperback to anyone who wants it! I absolutely loved this book.
The language was like a heady potion. The characters felt like gritty ghosts from a distant medieval past. There are so many aspects of the senses to these books that you can smell the churned grass and earth while the mock-battles play out on the battle fields. I read these two books back when they came out and they still haunt me today.I can’t wait to read the third book to be published on July 24, 2018!Highly recommend this series.
Give it a chance, it really tak I absolutely loved this book. The language was like a heady potion. The characters felt like gritty ghosts from a distant medieval past. There are so many aspects of the senses to these books that you can smell the churned grass and earth while the mock-battles play out on the battle fields.
I read these two books back when they came out and they still haunt me today.I can’t wait to read the third book to be published on July 24, 2018!Highly recommend this series. Give it a chance, it really takes off and gets very intriguing!! David Keck is a New York based writer and teacher who grew up in Winnipeg, Canada.His novels are published by Tor.On long winter evenings, he filled pads of newsprint with drawings, cartoons, and stories. His mother made him write on both sides.After completing degrees in English Literature/History and Education in Winnipeg, he traveled to Britain’s University of Sussex where he earned an MA in c David Keck is a New York based writer and teacher who grew up in Winnipeg, Canada.His novels are published by Tor.On long winter evenings, he filled pads of newsprint with drawings, cartoons, and stories.
His mother made him write on both sides.After completing degrees in English Literature/History and Education in Winnipeg, he traveled to Britain’s University of Sussex where he earned an MA in creative writing and indulged his taste for exploring the medieval and the Neolithic.Over the years, he has had the chance to climb through countless castles, cathedrals, tombs, and henges from the South of France to the Orkney Islands. There is something about really being in these places-getting chased by the farmer's dog-that brings the past to life.David loves to dig up stories that show traces of earlier ways of thinking.
He’s endlessly curious about how people actually lived in other times and places, and he wants his readers to join him in an older, stranger world.In 2004, he moved to New York to marry editor and author Anne Groell. They met in Montreal at the World Fantasy Convention in 2001, and now have an intrepid young daughter together.For twelve years, he has been teaching English at a public middle school in Washington Heights. He tries to bring his drawings and his imagination to every class, and has become a great proponent of educational technology.From the streets around the school, you can often see the tower of The Met Cloisters museum, with its medieval treasures, peeking out above the trees. The past is never far away.David recently fulfilled his childhood ambition of getting his cartoons into print, placing work with The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Analog Magazine, and Random House’s Suvudu website, before it became Unbound Worlds. He currently enjoys populating snapshots of New York's subways, streets, and secret forests with pop-eyed monsters.
But, in his fiction, a reader will find the darker side of his imagination.
The way out of conflict is not to try to eliminate the negative but instead to choose and adopt the positive. To view that one’s mission in life is to understand rather than to judge automatically resolves moral dilemmas.Meaning is defined by context which determines the motive. It is the motive that establishes spiritual value.2. Opinions are dangerous to their owners because they are emotionally charged triggers for the dissent, strife, argument, and positionality.3. Attitude: T Highlights:1. The way out of conflict is not to try to eliminate the negative but instead to choose and adopt the positive. To view that one’s mission in life is to understand rather than to judge automatically resolves moral dilemmas.Meaning is defined by context which determines the motive.
It is the motive that establishes spiritual value.2. Opinions are dangerous to their owners because they are emotionally charged triggers for the dissent, strife, argument, and positionality.3. Attitude: The primary quality is one of attitude in that one looks at life not as a place to acquire gain, but as an opportunity for learning, which abounds even the smallest of life’s details.4. Willingness—It means letting go of resistance and finding the joy of going one hundred and one percent.5. Acceptance—everything serves a purpose.6. The joy that follows facing any spiritual fear comes from the discovery that it was merely an illusion without basis or reality.7.
Faith and belief are necessary to start a journey, but verifiable knowledge is necessary to complete it.8. When one’s attitude towards everything becomes a devotion, Divinity reveals itself.9. The secret of success is to choose one concept or spiritual tool and pursue it with intensity, non-stop, to its ultimate end.10. Physical Death: The freedom to choose is present. Salvation is assisted by devotion to spiritual truth and its teachers. The mercy of God is infinite and unconditional. The soul alone has the power to determine its own fate.
Each soul is attracted to the appropriate level with absolute precision. You have to read his Power vs Force before this one. Here's are some excerpts:'The true source of joy and happiness is the realization of one's existence in this very moment. The source of pleasure always comes from within, even though it is occasioned by some external event or acquisition. In any one instant of time, no such thing as a problem can exist. Unhappiness arises from going beyond the reality of the Now and creating a story out of the past or the future which, because neither exists, You have to read his Power vs Force before this one. Here's are some excerpts:'The true source of joy and happiness is the realization of one's existence in this very moment.
The source of pleasure always comes from within, even though it is occasioned by some external event or acquisition. In any one instant of time, no such thing as a problem can exist. Unhappiness arises from going beyond the reality of the Now and creating a story out of the past or the future which, because neither exists, has no reality.' 'In the presence of God, all suffering ceases. One has returned to one's Source, which is not different from one's own Self.
It is as though one had forgotten and now awakened from a dream. All fears are revealed to be groundless; all worries are foolish imaginings. There is no future to fear or past to regret.
There is no errant ego/self to admonish or correct. There is nothing that needs changing or bettering. There is nothing about which to feel ashamed or guilty.
There is no 'other' from which one can be separated. No loss is possible. Nothing needs to be done, no effort is required, and one is free from the endless tug of desire and want.' You almost have to read Power Vs Force first to understand it.
It makes you think and re-evaluate how you perceive living your life. It shows practical reasons for avoiding the negative bad things of this world (things that make you go weak) and embrace all good, positive and uplifting things (things that make you go strong). You almost feel silly for letting petty annoyances get to you after you read and embrace the teachings in this book. Take your time, though. It is definitely NOT Very deep. You almost have to read Power Vs Force first to understand it.
It makes you think and re-evaluate how you perceive living your life. It shows practical reasons for avoiding the negative bad things of this world (things that make you go weak) and embrace all good, positive and uplifting things (things that make you go strong).
You almost feel silly for letting petty annoyances get to you after you read and embrace the teachings in this book. Take your time, though. It is definitely NOT a quick read.
This is the first book I've ever read that reflects my first hand experience. David Hawkins expresses the profound depth of the inner mystical sanctum of human experience that has mostly been untranslatable. For genuine truth seekers and those who are compelled to experiment with life experience in order to gain deeper comprehension of what it means to be a human being, The Eye of the I offers support, clarity, and camaraderie, which is comforting.That being said, Hawkins other aim is to presen This is the first book I've ever read that reflects my first hand experience. David Hawkins expresses the profound depth of the inner mystical sanctum of human experience that has mostly been untranslatable.
For genuine truth seekers and those who are compelled to experiment with life experience in order to gain deeper comprehension of what it means to be a human being, The Eye of the I offers support, clarity, and camaraderie, which is comforting.That being said, Hawkins other aim is to present a theory of expanding human consciousness and awareness, or, evolution of the human spirit within the material plane, which he feels he has proven through extensive experiments using Kinesiology. He explains in great detail the stages of evolution upon the planet at the current time and presents a very optimistic illustration of the future as the balance of evolved humans (as compared to those who are not so evolved) is recently approaching a majority number on the face of our planet. That is the gist of his theory. I find the theory very interesting although I have no opinion about whether it is accurate or not. Some years ago I did experiment with Kinesiology and found that 99% of the time the outcomes of queries were accurate, however, I have not practiced this method as extensively as Hawkins describes so I cannot judge his results - but it is a very interesting premise.Although I don't necessarily subscribe to his treatise regarding evolution, I would say that he is definitely operating from a high awareness that reflects an enormous capacity for compassion and understanding of the inner spiritual human condition. I very much appreciated this particular book, more than Power vs. Force, as there was so much more I was able to relate to and it substantiated many of my own conclusions based on my experience.
I highly recommend this to any truth seeker and would suggest to keep an open mind for as much as we may be similar, we may be different. Amazing insights from Reality. This book reflects very closely some of my first-hand experiences and intuitively it feels like Truth. Force is prerequisite for understanding the depth of this book.David Hawkins very eloquently explains the nature of the true I, the true Self, and the illusionary nature of the Ego. His words are the closest approximation of the wordless.
His thoughts are the most brilliant approximation of the One beyond thought.This book is very useful for deconstruc Amazing insights from Reality. This book reflects very closely some of my first-hand experiences and intuitively it feels like Truth. Force is prerequisite for understanding the depth of this book.David Hawkins very eloquently explains the nature of the true I, the true Self, and the illusionary nature of the Ego. His words are the closest approximation of the wordless.
His thoughts are the most brilliant approximation of the One beyond thought.This book is very useful for deconstruction for the illusionary concepts of materialistic reality. If your mind has been programmed for decades by the cultural narrative of any society, this book will help you in the deconstruction. Very highly recommend reading this book series.Some of my favourite excerpts.- The actual author of the book is Consciousness itself.-Most people seem to have a vested interest in the negativity of their perceptual world and resist leaving it for awarenesses on a higher level. People seem to derive sufficient satisfaction from their endless anger, resentment, remorse, and self-pity to actively resist moving on to such levels as understanding, forgiveness, or compassion. T-The Buddha said that those who hear and learn of enlightenment will never be satisfied with anything else and, therefore, the end is certain.-A child is born with the innocence of an unpro-grammed consciousness, but then, like the hardware of a computer, it is systematically programmed with software, which is society’s input.-Choose to be easygoing, benign, forgiving, compassionate, and unconditionally loving towards all life in all its expressions, without exception, including oneself. Focus on unselfish service and the giving of love, consideration, and respect to all creatures.
Avoid negativity and the desire for worldliness and its greed for pleasure and possessions. Forego opinionating, the judgment of right versus wrong, the vanity of being ‘right’, and the trap of righteousness. Seek to understand rather than to condemn.-To quiet the mind, certain motives have to be surrendered and relinquished to God: 1. The desire to think. The desire for the pleasure of thinking.
The comfort of the guarantee of the continuation of one’s existence.-It is helpful to realize that nothing can be described or experienced except from outside itself.Nothing is as it can be described; therefore, all descriptions are of what a thing is not.-It is helpful to remember that neither Truth nor Enlightenment is something to be found, sought, acquired, gained, or possessed. That which is the Infinite Presence is always present, and its realization occurs of itself when the obstacles to that realization are removed.-Begin by accepting the very important statement that all truth is subjective. Do not waste lifetimes looking for an objective truth because no such thing exists. Even if it did, it could not be found except by the purely subjective experience of it. All knowledge and wisdom are subjective.-There are two ways to travel—either a direct route to one’s destination, or the leisurely trip that investigates the countryside and visits all the tourist attractions. Most spiritual seekers are on the leisurely path, even if they do not realize it.
This, however, is undoubtedly the best way for many people. It is neither wrong nor a waste of time but merely the path that works best for them. In reality, time is merely an illusion and an appearance. No ‘time’ is really wasted once one has chosen the spiritual goal. Actually, it makes no difference whether enlightenment takes a thousand lifetimes or one; in the end, it is all the same. This is the second book in a three-book series.
I really liked the first one, but don't feel this one adds that much to one's understanding. In fact, the writing simply wasn't as good. It lost its clarity, and I often struggled to understand exactly what he was trying to say.
I've read enough books about the topics broached in this book and am familiar with the basics of quantum physics and kinesiology so that I can usually understand new concepts based on these things. And I ha This is the second book in a three-book series.
I really liked the first one, but don't feel this one adds that much to one's understanding. In fact, the writing simply wasn't as good.
It lost its clarity, and I often struggled to understand exactly what he was trying to say. I've read enough books about the topics broached in this book and am familiar with the basics of quantum physics and kinesiology so that I can usually understand new concepts based on these things. And I had no problems following what he said in the first book. So it makes me wonder what happened with this book which made it lose the clarity of the first book.If I wasn't comparing it to the first book, I'd probably rate this as a 3 star book because it did discuss and expand upon many of the truly interesting ideas in the first book. By why read this one when you can get most of the information from the first one, in a much easier-to-understand form?The irony is that using his own method for measuring absolute truth, he rates this book higher than the first book. Maybe it is, but it's not much help if you have trouble understanding the truth he's trying to share. This book is full of Truth.
Unfortunately, a lot of that Truth is repeated over. There are some excellent moments in here, but they're sprinkled amongst the same things the author said in Book #1 and his later book, Transcending the Levels of Consciousness.Perhaps a right way of reading this would be to read a few pages a day over a long period, using what you've read as fodder for meditation. I, however, was looking for something more, and I didn't find it. Of course, This book is full of Truth. Unfortunately, a lot of that Truth is repeated over. There are some excellent moments in here, but they're sprinkled amongst the same things the author said in Book #1 and his later book, Transcending the Levels of Consciousness.Perhaps a right way of reading this would be to read a few pages a day over a long period, using what you've read as fodder for meditation. I, however, was looking for something more, and I didn't find it.
Of course, I'm not yet enlightened, so I guess that falls on me. ★ - Most books with this rating I never finish and so don't make this list. This one I probably started speed-reading to get it over with.★★ - Average. Wasn't terrible, but not a lot to recommend it. Probably skimmed parts of it.★★★ - Decent. A few good ideas, well-written passages, interesting characters, or the like.★★★★ - Good. This one had parts that inspired me, impressed me, made me laugh out loud, made me think - it got positive reactions and most of the rest of it was pretty decent too.★ ★ - Most books with this rating I never finish and so don't make this list.
This one I probably started speed-reading to get it over with.★★ - Average. Wasn't terrible, but not a lot to recommend it. Probably skimmed parts of it.★★★ - Decent. A few good ideas, well-written passages, interesting characters, or the like.★★★★ - Good. This one had parts that inspired me, impressed me, made me laugh out loud, made me think - it got positive reactions and most of the rest of it was pretty decent too.★★★★★ - Amazing.
This is the best I've read of its genre, the ones I hold on to so I can re-read them and/or loan them out to people looking for a great book. The best of these change the way I look at the world and operate within it. I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I certaily agree with Hawkins' premise of calibrated levels of consciousness, and much of what he said parallels my own views and conclusions. Yet, I have reservations, primarily his assertion that spiritual wisdom, knowledge and truths are readily available through the physical.
His statement (on a you tube video) that The Book of Revelations calibrated at an astonishing low level intensified my reservations. I enjoyed this book and while I gave it 4 sta I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I certaily agree with Hawkins' premise of calibrated levels of consciousness, and much of what he said parallels my own views and conclusions. Yet, I have reservations, primarily his assertion that spiritual wisdom, knowledge and truths are readily available through the physical. His statement (on a you tube video) that The Book of Revelations calibrated at an astonishing low level intensified my reservations. I enjoyed this book and while I gave it 4 stars, I really haven't come to a solid conclusion. I may work it out.
Sir David Ramon Hawkins, M.D, Ph.D. Is a nationally renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, spiritual teacher and lecturer. The uniqueness of his contribution to humanity comes from the advanced state of spiritual awareness known as ' Enlightenment,' 'Self–Realization,' and 'Unio Mystica.' Rarely, if ever, has this spiritual state occurred in the life of an accomplished scientist and physicia Sir David Ramon Hawkins, M.D, Ph.D. Is a nationally renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, spiritual teacher and lecturer. The uniqueness of his contribution to humanity comes from the advanced state of spiritual awareness known as ' Enlightenment,' 'Self–Realization,' and 'Unio Mystica.'
Rarely, if ever, has this spiritual state occurred in the life of an accomplished scientist and physician. Therefore, Dr. Hawkins is uniquely qualified to present a spiritual path that is scientifically compelling to modern society.The classical hallmarks of this state are pristine awareness of Ultimate Reality, compassion for all beings, tireless dedication to alleviate suffering, radiant joy, and humor. People from all walks of life, nationalities, and spiritual orientations honor Dr. Hawkins as a teacher of advanced awareness, exemplified in the title 'Rae Ryeong Seon Kak Tosa' (Foremost Teacher of the Way to Enlightenment) bestowed upon him in Korea.Founding Director of the Institute for Spiritual Research, Inc. (1983) and Founder of the Path of Devotional Nonduality (2003), Dr.
Hawkins has lectured widely at such places as Westminster Abbey; Oxford Forum; Universities of Notre Dame, Michigan, Argentina, Fordham and Harvard; University of California (SF) Medical School; Institute of Noetic Sciences; and Agape Spiritual Center (Los Angeles). In addition, he has been an advisor to Catholic, Protestant, and Buddhist monasteries. He has conferred with foreign governments on international diplomacy and has been instrumental in resolving long–standing conflicts that were major threats to world peace.He is featured in recent documentary films, magazines, and radio interviews (e.g., Oprah Radio and Institute of Noetic Sciences) for his work in the areas of health, healing, recovery, spirituality in modern life, consciousness research, and meditation.Dr. Hawkins entered the field of medicine to alleviate human pain and distress, and his work as a physician was pioneering. As Medical Director of the North Nassau Mental Health Center (1956–1980) and Director of Research at Brunswick Hospital (1968–1979) on Long Island, his clinic was the largest practice in the United States, including a suite of twenty–five offices, two thousand outpatients, and several research laboratories.
In 1973, he co–authored the ground–breaking work, Orthomolecular Psychiatry with Nobel Laureate chemist Linus Pauling, initiating a new field within psychiatry.His clinical breakthroughs brought appearances on The Today Show, The Barbara Walters Show and The Mcneil/Leher News Hour. In the 1970s, he co–founded several psychiatric organizations, including the Editorial Board of the Journal of Schizophrenia and the Attitudinal Healing Center in New York.Many awards followed, such as The Huxley Award for the 'Inestimable Contribution to the Alleviation of Human Suffering,' Physicians Recognition Award by the American Medical Association, 50–Year Distinguished Life Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association, the Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame, and a nomination for the prestigious Templeton Prize that honors progress in Science and Religion.
In 1995, in a ceremony officiated by the H.H. Prince Valdemar of Schaumburg–Lippe at the San Anselmo Theological Seminary, he became a knight of the Sovereign Order of the Hospitaliers of St. John of Jerusalem (founded in 1077) in recognition of his contributions to humanity.