Amazon AMAZON.COM Category:  Fantasy Publisher: Book Surge Publishing ISBN-10:  1419617893 Type: Fiction Pages: 494 Copyright: Nov 23, 2005 Caleath was master of his own destiny until a powerful enemy with a grudge decides otherwise. Now exiled on a world where only sorcerers warp reality, he has one chance to escape. To return to his home galaxy he must reach his fallen survey beacon. Mortality becomes a threat when an assassin destroys his healing nanobots. Friendship becomes a liability. Dark forces follow his progress and when given the title of Deathbringer, Fate leads him to Dragonslair, where an ancient lust for revenge simmers. 'Rosalie Skinner sculpts a science-fictional landscape on which her characters play out a universal epic of human adventure, struggle and triumph.'Aenea Himbury, Women in Film and Television (Victoria) 'Ms Skinner manages to keep the excitement rolling from start to finish.' Ruth Williams Fantasy Reader USA. 'Exiled by Spite, A man finds his Destiny, Scored in dragon's blood.' Plans were coming to fruition. Caleath once worked as a planetary-surveyor on a world of sky domes, moon shuttles and grid-locked spaceports. In those days, he escaped from an overload of technology through a virtual reality game. Then, total immersion in a fantasy world became an obsession. At present, he survives in exile on a backwater planet where only sorcerers warp reality. Here seawater leaves a crust of salt on your skin rather than a toxic slime. There is no 'END GAME' when things became unbearable. He has discovered that neither genetic nor microchip enhancements help when pitted against sorcery. Now Caleath has a chance to escape. What, he dares ask, could possibly go wrong? Caleath faces assassins and threats both alien and mythological. Dark forces are eager to manipulate his future when he is given the title of Deathbringer. His destiny becomes tangled in legend and an ancient sorceress' need for revenge. Winter's Plight/ Summer's Peril follow Caleath as he realizes that even the best-made plans are prone to fall apart. We travel with him as he learns to adapt when things go wrong, accepts the responsibility of friendship and finally discovers there is strength in compassion.   Excerpt CHAPTER ONE by Rosalie Skinner 'Balls of a hairy goat!' The expletive came with a surge of elation. To know salvation lay beyond the breakers renewed his determination. With sudden energy, he struggled against remnants of the storm’s fury. Plans were coming to fruition. He was raised on a world where artificial air filled sky domes and the chaotic arrival of moon shuttles threatened to gridlock local spaceports. In an imperfect world, he had escaped from an overload of technology through virtual reality. Then, total immersion in a fantasy world became an obsession. Here, sorcerers warped reality. Here the sun's rays burned, seawater left a crust of salt on your skin rather than a toxic slime. There was no 'END GAME', when things became unbearable. Survival on this planet was a nightmare. Neither genetic nor microchip enhancements helped when pitted against sorcery and hardship. Now though, he had a chance to escape his exile. What, he dared to ask, could possibly go wrong? As he gulped air before facing the next wave, the ocean tore a waterlogged barrel from his grasp and the weight of a body dragged him underwater. Panic drove adrenaline through pumping veins and gave strength to drag his burden to the surface. Despite salt water filling his lungs, he struggled until the maelstrom deposited him onto solid ground. Deposited on a beach in driving rain, sand coated every surface and crevasse of skin. He wasted breath on a curse while waiting for each successive wave to help lift his companion's body higher onto the beach. Coarse sand dissolved beneath him when a greedy undertow tried to suck his burden into the foam. Despite fighting exhaustion, he held ground against nature's fickle temper. Dragging air into tortured lungs, he ground his teeth and waited for the next incoming surge. Thankful to have survived the shipwreck he hoped saving the life of his companion would provide redemption for the dark morass of his past. Beside a tumble of rocks that protected him from the wind, he examined his comatose shipmate. Wiping sand from a calloused finger, he searched for a pulse and the warmth of living flesh. With a sigh of satisfaction, he relaxed. Eyes clogged with sand closed. He fought against the fatigue that plagued every cell of his body. To succumb to dreams before dawn would mean facing the ghosts who haunted his nights. Instead, he mulled over the task ahead, concentrating on how he would escape this accursed planet. Only then could he focus on revenge. With a curse, he vowed to punish the man who abducted him and left him stranded on a world where sorcerers and slavery existed. Anger warmed his blood as he considered how Ephraim would die. ***

Exiled: Winter's Plight.
Exiled: Winter's Pight by Rosalie Skinner
Reviewed by Shtara on 22/4/2005
I enjoyed EXILED immensely. I feel that this is a story to rival Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter combined. Ms Skinner manages to keep the excitement rolling from start to finish. Though quite a long read, one finds themself anxious to keep turning the pages until the very last is done, then within a week anxious to read the next book to be published.

Only a few writers inspire one as Ms Skinner does with this one book. She is Andre Norton and Anne McCaffrey rolled up into one plus a totally new creator of science fiction/fantasy tucked in. This is NOT a book to yawn about. I urge all sci fi and fantasy fans to read it. They certainly won't be let down.

Exiled: Book I and II
Exiled, Books I and II
Reviewed by TimStClair on 19/4/2005
It's hard to classify Exiled as strictly a science fiction or fantasy or adventure novel - it's a lot of each. Exiled takes the reader down many paths including nanotechnology, swords and sorcery, alien invasions and truly epic battles. From cover to cover, the action doesn't let up, and once you're in a chapter or two it's hard to put down.

The story chronicles the seemingly life-long struggle of Caeleth, a man exiled and pursued on a planet far from his own. Seen as in immortal thanks to the nanobots in his bloodstream which heal greivous wounds and restore his stamina where others might fall, he becomes an anxious leader to the people of the world. He has awesome power and fighting skill, yet goes out of his way to see no harm comes to those under his charge. He wants for nothing more than and end to the torment of his past, where he was forced to be a killer for sport. Remembering his past at every turn, to hide and be left alone to his anguish becomes his dream. But fate and men have other ideas.

While Caeleth tries to escape his past and bitter entanglement with his nemesis Elensor, he finds himself doggedly pursued by skilled yet unwilling assasins, former friends or acquaintences of his who are compelled via mystical means to seek and destroy Caeleth, and by his own fears of sorcery and mind control. He also becomes involved in the local people and politics of this strange new land, and in some he finds friends, while others would see him as an enemy. Throughout his journey some of these relationships develop strongly as people are inspired with his skill, while others grow fearful and shy away from his raw power.

The book is neccesarily long, which gives you ample time to really get to know the characters very well and see them in a variety of situations which highlight each's very real strengths and weaknesses. The length is also a great boon beacause the story never seems over - there's always another seemingly impossible challenge.

Exiled: Winter's Plight - Compelling and innovative
Reviewer: T. S. Westwood (UK) -
Winter's Plight is a highly original, action packed and enthralling novel. The first installment of an epic series, Ms Skinner draws the reader into her world with vivid imagery, stirring characters and intense action. Swept along by her powerful and distinctive writing style, the rich plots and subplots ensure the reader is hooked to the end.

Those who order their bookshelves according to quality, should be prepared to clear space for this exciting and innovative new series.