Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Download from Smashwords (eBook) Amazon Barnes & Noble.com Official Evorath Website Amazon Smashwords Category:  Fantasy ISBN-10:  0997883804 Type: Fiction Pages: 376 Copyright: August 23, 2016 ISBN-13: 9780997883800 Price: $4.99 (eBook) When coming face to face with a powerful new evil, how is a lowly elvish ranger supposed to respond? In this thrilling new fantasy novel, readers will discover this and more.  Artimus, the head investigator for the elvish kingdom of Erathal, is disturbed when he discovers that the culprit behind a recent string of kidnappings presents the greatest threat the world of Evorath has ever seen. As he develops feelings for Savannah, a beautiful elvish druid hiding a great secret, he struggles to separate his personal feelings from his responsibilities to the crown. Meanwhile, Irontail, a young centaur warrior, endeavors to find his way in a tribe where independent thought is discouraged.  When their paths cross, the entire forest must unite, performing an ancient ritual to combat this new evil. While the world of Evorath deals with this great threat, Artimus and his companions must put their internal conflicts to rest as they work together to combat this harbinger of death. As they work towards this common goal, they find that they each have their own, unique gifts to offer. But, will they be strong enough to survive?  The first of many stories taking place in the world of Evorath, this series gives readers the thrill of an epic fantasy while introducing characters who are struggling to balance the demands of society with their own personal desires. One thing is for sure: at the end of it all, nothing will be the same.

Great characters. Excellent story.
Being the first in a series, I was excited to get my hands on “The Birth of Death,” by Joseph Macolino. I had kept up with Evorath’s blog and was looking forward to delving deeper into the magical universe. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed.

The story starts out with an unusual prologue, which instantly had me wanting to find out more. As I read through the chapters, it seemed like the pages were turning themselves. Without giving away any spoilers, I felt that I really connected to the lead character, Artimus, and his companions as they went through the story.

Every one of the supporting characters was dynamic as well, and there were parts in the story where I actually felt the pain of their struggle. More importantly, the story never really had a dull moment, and each chapter serves to advance the overall flow. The only negative thing I have to say is that I will have to wait to read the next one!

Fantasy That Blends Suspense and An Inventive New World for a Great Read
“The Birth of Death” is a fantasy novel that really stood out to me in its plot and its characters—both are refreshing and something new in the genre.

It starts out almost as a mystery novel—the main character, Lieutenant Artemis Atyrmirid, is the head investigator for the Royal Ranger Division, and is working to solve the disappearance of several young elvish women. The perpetrator is a Hajje—a dark elf of unspeakable evil. The creatures of Evorath must come together to stand against the Hajje, and they cooperate long enough to call up an avatar to aid them—but the avatar might not be the help they need, and as the different races face not only the dark elf but their own disputes, the future of the land looks grim.

Usually fantasy novels with elves and mystical creatures are repetitive—there’s a quest, usually a wise wizard, and a fairly predictable story arc. What I loved about “The Birth of Death” is that it’s so different. The creatures that make up the land, from the felites to the lizrocks, are inventive and well developed, with distinct traits, and the plot maintains a high level of suspense throughout. I also liked that the suspense wasn’t based only on the action and the threat of evil, but is developed because you actually come to care about the main characters. Artemis is likeable and brave but vulnerable in his emotion for the beautiful Savannah, and Irontail is a strong warrior but has his own mind and opinions. I also liked the character of the avatar and his role as a teacher, and look forward to reading about him in future installments in the series.

I would recommend “The Birth of Death” to readers who love fantasy novels that have both action and a carefully developed world, but who are looking for something that’s a little outside of the box in regard to the genre itself.

A book that is sure to please many fantasy fans out there
Although 'The Birth of Death' is the first book that I have stumbled upon and finished by Joseph Macolino, I am almost certain that it will not be the last - mainly because the well-refined and visually rich nature of the writing style combined with the original and clearly well thought out plot have put this author almost to the top of my 'must read' list already; I will definitely be looking out for more, and I'm very excited to see how the author is going to make the story play out with future installments.

I think I'm near the point where I can decide early in a story whether a book is going to be a straight 'miss' or 'hit' for me personally, based on a few simple things that I look out for from the beginning. Thus, I felt that I knew within the first couple of chapters that I had started reading an absolute top quality work, which essentially had me hooked from start to finish. I originally was recommended this book by a friend and although I was slightly skeptical about her praise at first, I now am aware of what all the fuss is about and, ultimately, I consider this more than a worthwhile read and worth the compliments.

It's not hard to tell that Joseph Macolino has read plenty of fantasy works in his time and truly has a passion for the genre, I say this because the literary devices are pulled off near-flawlessly and I think this is the type of read that even the most critical fans of the genre out there could appreciate and respect. In summary, I'd give The Birth of Death a strong 9/10 - there were a few minor parts that could have been elaborated on more, but other than that, the book's pros very strongly outweigh the cons - and I consider it to ultimately be a five star read in the end.