Kindle Edition Amazon tracymjoyce.com Odyssey Books Kobo Category:  Fantasy Publisher: Odyssey Books Type: Fiction Pages: 304 Copyright: 28 July 2014 ISBN-13: 9781922200310 Price: $3.96 (eBook) Altaica is an epic fantasy exploring themes of friendship, racism, and superstition, identity and belonging. It examines the fragility of human nature when pitted against the desire for survival and personal gain. "The lines between right and wrong are very much blurred."  “Look at her – she’s Hill Clan. Even the Matyrani don’t like them…” Isaura – little is known about her race, but much is whispered. Born to refugees, she grows up enduring racism and superstition within a community that fears her. She has few friends, and those she treasures. Trapped, she longs for escape to a different life. Escape is only the beginning of her troubles. Having fled an invading army with her friends, Isaura is faced with heinous choices in order to survive. Secrets from her past emerge to torment her and threaten to destroy all she holds dear. Her struggles forge a bond with an ancient power – a power which may transform or consume her. Old hatreds and superstitions are renewed and at her most vulnerable she learns the true nature of those around her. Her only hope lies in a foreign land – a land rich in tradition; ruled by three powerful clans. A land with a history marked by warfare; where magic as we know it does not exist. Instead what is here, in abundance, is a more primal power. Survival carries a high price. Welcome to Altaica.       Excerpt ISAURA had taken a chance coming here. She desperately hoped that she had not made the wrong choice by giving in to her curiosity. Time was precious and although she started out early, she had yet to make it home. She kept up a brisk pace and negotiated the steep, increasingly rocky, goat path up Mt Majula. Isaura wove between tall pines, her lithe frame moving quietly and fluidly from their shadows into the patches of early morning sunlight that dotted the path. She paused when the track wended its way down an overgrown ridge. Drawing a deep breath, Isaura left the path and began scrambling nimbly up the ridge among the large rocks. The trees grew steadily more sparse and spindly as she climbed. The air was bracing, reddening even her tanned cheeks; her breath became laboured as the way grew more arduous. Her pace had slowed, yet, driven by dread, she surged up the last section of her climb. At the base of an enormous flat boulder, she bent over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Straightening, she looked with determination at the lip of the rock just above her. Isaura jumped, latching onto the rock edge with her fingers. She scrabbled for purchase with her boots, levered herself up and dragged her body onto its flat top. She loved this spot; it was her refuge, but after today she would no longer have it. She knew there was no time to think like that, besides there was so much about life here she wouldn’t miss. Walking to the other side of the rock, she surveyed the wide plains below her. They’re already here! Stretched out along the plains, a vast column of Zaragarian troops marched towards her with row upon row of cavalry, foot soldiers, siege weapons and wagons. Devastation lay in their wake. From her perch, Isaura could see the huge pillar of grimy, sooty clouds that billowed above the burning market town of Santente. Smaller spires of smoke and blackened land pockmarked the rest of the plain, as if some malignancy had infected it. Isaura was mesmerised by the orderly march of this enormous army and fancied she could hear the rhythmic pounding of boots as they flattened the land beneath them. Her eyes were drawn to the smoke and the pall that hung over the horizon. The contrast between the chaos they had inflicted and the regimented order and discipline of the army sickened, fascinated and terrified her—this was an immense, relentless, ruthless machine. Zaragaria—a desert country with few fertile tracts of land lay in the west. For generations the warlike tribes there had feuded amongst themselves, posing no threat to the rest of the land. They were looked upon as a rabble of inferior savages. However, Aitor I, the great grandfather of the current Zaragarian Emperor, had united them with promises of riches and freedom from the harsh life of their desert home. No longer a rabble, they conquered their neighbours. Word of their brutality spread. Their need for land was satisfied but his need for power was not. Steadily they increased their influence, conquering more countries though war, politically astute marriages or murder. Arunabejar stood in their way and, while lacking in mineral resources, it was fertile farming land—perfect for supplying an army. It was a food bowl and a gateway to those few remaining lands the Zaragaria had not yet conquered. With a relatively small army, it never stood a chance. Isaura had never prayed. There were too many religions and so many gods now, each claiming theirs was the true way, that she thought them all ridiculous. To whom would she pray, even if any of them were real? Now, however, as a wave of dread and nausea settled in her stomach, she thought perhaps if ever there was a time for a prayer, then this was it. ‘Majula, you and Araceli are the oldest gods; the father and mother of all. My friends keep to the old religion, they pray to you. Keep them safe.’ She stared at the host arrayed in the distance below her. ‘Please keep them safe. Give me the skills to help them.’ A zephyr curled around her, brushing her face gently, then was gone. Anxious to leave, she spun around to lower herself from the boulder. As she did she was distracted by a distant glint. The river snaked through Laguta, on their border, through the plains and forests of Arunabejar to the sea. She stared hard, squinting, wishing to see it again to be sure. ‘No. Surely not? Damn it! They’re on the river too.’ Dismayed, her thoughts raced to the old river barge she was to sail to rendezvous with her friends in order to escape. Panicking, Isaura leapt from her lookout and scrambled down the slope at a frantic pace. Her feet slipped and she skidded on her backside onto the narrow goat trail, dislodging stones and sending them careening down the hillside. She leapt up and pounded along the trail, her earlier fatigue vanishing in the face of her fear. As she descended, the trees allowed only speckled patches of early morning light to penetrate the canopy. Isaura paused, breathing deeply, one hand braced against a tree trunk, her lungs and throat afire. Something whizzed past her face. She spun around just as an arrow lodged in the tree next to her. Oh shit! Scouts. Please, get me out of this. Think, girl. Isaura surged forward, reserves of energy she was unaware she possessed renewing her flight. As she fled, a voice called out. ‘C’mon, I told you someone was up there. Those rocks didn’t tumble down for no reason. Get her!’ Her blind panic subsided as she ran; Isaura was assessing, planning. She knew at least two were behind her. A branch snapped somewhere to her left. There’s another! Come on, Isa. You know this place, they don’t—think! Not following any obvious path, she ducked, weaved, and leapt through the vegetation hoping to lose them. Isaura heard them cursing as they tripped over fallen branches, which she had jumped, in the dim light. A smile crept across her face, but vanished quickly as she realised that those behind still dogged her. There were no further noises to her left, yet her instincts told her the scout was still there. Veering to the right, she connected with a clear, well-travelled animal path. She heard the two behind her stumble onto the clearer path. ‘We have her now!’ More footfalls joined theirs in the pursuit. The narrow trail continued downhill amongst a multitude of tall tree ferns, whose fronds arched over the path, reducing the light even further. It angled around a steep slope littered with generations of fallen debris, forcing her pursuers to keep to the trail. Finding another burst of speed, she put as much distance between herself and the enemy as she could, before she rounded a bend and the path widened. Isaura peered at the left side of the path. A mammoth tree trunk lay half buried on the outer limit of the path. Over the years more ferns had grown on and around it. Gingerly, struggling to stop her hands shaking, she parted the fronds of a large fern, revealing a dark hole between the trunk and the track, whose entrance was narrower than she remembered. Shit! Please fit, please fit, please … Heart pounding, Isaura carefully lowered herself into the hole, trying not to break any fronds as she passed. She cursed as she felt more dirt crumble away around her. She wedged herself under the tree trunk, concealed by the overhang it created. Precariously balanced and clinging tenaciously to a tree root, she struggled to maintain firm footing. Peering down, Isaura was grateful that the dirt she had dislodged had not cascaded far down the slope. Would they see it? The wait for her pursuers seemed interminable. Where are they? The forest was quiet—waiting. The temptation to look gnawed at her. Isaura heard the soft scuff of a boot—close. They were right above her. Barely breathing, she fervently hoped the now wider hole remained concealed. She began to sweat and her hands felt slippery on the tree root. Teeth gritted, she prayed, Please. Gods, please … A terrified squeal nearly slipped from her as guttural voices sounded overhead. ‘We’ve lost her.’ ‘We can’t have …’ ‘She was running like a rabbit, she’s probably ahead of us somewhere.’ ‘This is a waste of time. It’s just a girl …’ ‘She could have been a scout.’ ‘Did she look like a bloody scout?’ ‘What was she doing out here then?’ There was a pause, as if they were waiting for instructions. The silence stretched. Isaura waited. Finally, a harsh voice said, ‘Enough. We’ve orders. We’ll head back to the others. Follow this path for a bit. If my instincts are right we’re not far from the forest road anyway. If you see her, then you can have your fun.’ She did not hear them leave. Isaura’s heart was pounding. Her instincts screamed, Don’t move. It’s a trick. She waited until the forest noises began to return; only then did she leave her cover and head for home, praying she was not too late.

Altaica (Review by Jelilatadesiyan)
Dang it’s good. Once in a while you run into books like Cindi Williams Chima ‘ s Gray wolves clan novels or Scarlett Dawn ‘ s King’s hall series and you just know you’ve hit the jackpot. This is one of those times. This is a series that will keep you wanting more.

When I first read the synopsis, I had no idea that it carried so much depth. The synopsis was all simple and small in comparison to the depth and broadness of the story in its entirety.

The story starts with Isaura. She is the thread that binds everyone together but her story is not the only one you will hear. Her story is the general plot, one that is not by any means finished in this book and everyone else’s stories are the subplots that somehow manage to enrichen the plot and sweeten the deal even more.

I expected to be bored by the novel. I felt that Joyce’s choice of diction was what I would have chosen to start a novel, and since I don’t find my work riveting, I assumed she’d bore me soon enough. Not so. I was pleasantly surprised and happy to have run into this book. It delves into the facets of relationships, clan wise as well as filial.

I would most definitely recommend this book to people of all ages especially since people of all ages starred in it.

Joyce manages to give everyone a role that brings their lives and fortunes into the limelight so that nobody feels cheated, especially the reader. I did at one time feel eager to see Isaura but the drama that ensued made the wait worthwhile.

I definitely love this book and will be giving it five stars.
Definitely.

*I was given an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. *

P.S I loooovvveee this book and I hope your opinion of my review of it has not been marred by its provenance.

Recommendation: Buy it!

Altaica (Review by Joshua Townley, Goodreads)
Altaica - by Tracy M Joyce

An exciting, immersive epic fantasy debut. Definitely a series to watch

This is the first part in an epic Fantasy series set in the land of Altaica. The book drops you into an immediately tense situation as the main character, Isaura, watches an immense foreign army about to march through her home town, and she is faced with difficult decisions early on.

Isaura herself is a strong lead character, skilled at archery and healing, but never fully accepted or trusted by the village because of the colour of her skin and her 'Hill Clan' ancestry. Despite this, Isaura does everything in her power to help them in the face of this threat.

The story follows a number of viewpoint characters as they struggle to survive, and their paths diverge and interconnect as the story unfolds. At first I had some difficulty accepting so many POV characters, but each of them quickly develops their own voice, and brings a unique and interesting perspective to the story. One of Joyce's greatest strengths is her ability to write complex, realistic characters, then throw them headlong into horrible, desperate situations. It makes for great reading!

The world of Altaica is alive with detail and rich history, but it never feels like it's getting in the way of the story. In fact, it only enhances it. Generations-old conflicts and grudges are brought back into play, and affect how many of the characters act and perceive each other in the story.

The magic system, too, is fascinating and well thought out, focusing on the bonds between the human and animal worlds, and although it only really comes to the forefront towards the end of the book, it's present throughout and underpins and directs so much about the course of the story. I suspect, however, that we've only just begun to glimpse its depth.

I'm trying to keep this review spoiler-free, so I can't go into the details of my favourite moments, but there were many that stuck with me. I'll just say that the idea of the Kenati is one of the coolest I've seen in a Fantasy series, and I can't wait to see more of them in the next book.

Joyce is one of the few Fantasy authors that pays as much attention to building her characters as she does building her world and plots, and it makes Altaica one of the most satisfying Fantasy books I've read in a long time. If you're looking for a new Fantasy series with strong female leads and an author that brings a fresh take to the genre, I highly recommend Altaica.

Altaica (Review by Annmarie Ager, Goodreads)
t's been a while since I read this kind of fantasy I sometime struggle getting into these kinds of book, but with Altaica that was not the case.

The book starts in a epic way a load of action and I really like that you felt like you had jumped into Isaura life at the most dangerous time of her life and I was going along for the ride of my life. The storyline was amazing and I loved the fact the book did not just stick with one character, but cut between many so you could get a better understanding of each character in the book.

The book so was exciting I was biting my nails through some hairy parts of the book sometime the book had me feeling sad and other time I was overjoyed and happy and it was so refreshing to find a book that not only took your interest from the beginning, but also had a way of playing with your emotions and making you feel like your heart was on a roller coaster ride.

I was ecstatic about the level of detail and the amazing world the author wove and it held me to the book the whole way though. I enjoyed each twist and turn that both shocked and excited you while you read along. By the time I was half way through I was sad that I would soon become to the end I just want the story to go on and on.

When I got to the end of the book I just wanted more I had the simply need to know what happens next I really don't know how I'm going to wait until the next book.

The book was simply Phenomenal with a completely engaging storyline and memorable characters.