The Zalian Chronicles: Volume 3 - Book 1
In a medieval age, in times of war, an unlikely couple shall come together to save each other. A compassionate princess and a peculiar thief. But they need one another to survive the ills of war.
The I heard the door open. The door opened. In my kind of business, speed and stealth are key. If you didn't have those attributes, you got caught rather quickly. Getting caught could sometimes mean death. Where I was, it most certainly would have meant death. Thankfully, I had spent a long time working on speed and stealth. My entire body was underneath the bed before the door was fully ajar.
"Stay here, Sophia." A guard told the princess. "Be safe. I put a knife on your vanity if you need it."
The knife that was now in my hands. Figures.
The door shut again. I felt the mattress above me press down slightly. Princess Sophia was sitting down on her bed.
"Shepherd, please watch over us." She prayed.
I suddenly felt horrible. Princess Sophia was calling out to the Shepherd: the Creator of all that exists. The holy and righteous Judge. The merciful and almighty God, the Lord of all lords, the King of all kings...
She was asking for His protection...because of me. Let's face it, I was a miserable kind of person. A thief. A bandit. A criminal. But even I reverenced the Shepherd. And I felt convicted. I let out a sigh, my conscience now burdening me.
Suddenly, I felt the mattress above me bounce slightly. A second after, Princess Sophia's face appeared. She was slightly hanging off her bed, looking underneath it to find me. In my surprise, I simply gaped at her. She returned the gaping look, mirroring the shock and fear that I was feeling.
"There's no way you heard that sigh." Was the only thing I could think to say.
"I did." She confessed in a shaky voice.
"You have excellent hearing." I complimented.
"Thank you." She said, still looking terrified. Suddenly, her head whipped up from my view.
"Guards! Guards!" Sophia shrieked as she began bolting off of her bed. Princess Sophia was running for the door. Luckily, I was faster than her.
-Passage from The Noble Bandit, pages 38-39
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Fun Facts!
It took 15 years to write this one book, though most of that time wasn't spent writing. In fact, most of those years were spent plotting the rest of the Heroes & Thieves series and making sure the first book matched up with those plans.
The entire Heroes & Thieves series began as a sarcastic challenge from my older brother.
Originally, a comic-relief Spaniard was designed to accompany Nathan, Sophia, and Jonathan, but his character was scrapped rather early in the writing process.
The last chapters written in this book were the first two chapters. They were completed only a few weeks before publishing, while the rest of the book had been completed for years.
The Heroes & Thieves series was originally intended to be a three book series, but I found it wasn't enough to fit in all of the story that I wanted to tell. Eventually, Heroes & Thieves evolved into a ten book series.
Check Out the Reviews!
Aiden Morris
Amazon Customer
This is my single favorites book series. I can say that with confidence. It’s full of adventure, and suspense, and romance, and just a sprinkle of comedy that all ties up to be a great story. I am honored to have read this book and I am extremely excited to read the others. If you like reading, buy this book. I almost guarantee that you will enjoy it. It has something for everybody. I don’t even like reading, and this grasps my attention every time I pick it up.
Caitlin Pestel Glynn
Amazon Customer
It’s a thrilling book of adventure, with little bit of romance and action. It’s a wonderful child-friendly book. Great for young readers.
Erica B.
Amazon Customer
I often find myself getting bored after starting a new book. I recently met Nicholas. Our common interest in historical fiction made me hopeful that his works would be a refreshing read. I approached his works apprehensive and hopeful and I was very impressed with his writing. He’s created an immervise enganging world in just a few pages. I was rolling my eyes and biting my nails each turn. I highly recommend getting the whole series because you’re going to be enticed to know what Nathan will do next. I’ve just started the second book. I can’t wait to find out what happens to (spoilers)…
MaryDawn
Amazon Customer
I got the book to read myself, but my 13 year old daughter picked it up before I got the chance is loving this book. She is already asking for the 2nd in the series. It’s a fun adventure and the author did a great job.
Shannon
Amazon Customer
My first impression of this novel is that it is a very promising start to a series, with a few rough edges.
In tone and scope, I was reminded of the classic Robin Hood stories I read in my early teens, along with The Kingdom Series and Knights of Arrethtrae by Chuck Black. There is a spiritual compass firmly present throughout the book with a clear true north, but its presentation is not heavy handed.
The pacing of the story was well constructed, and the conflict developed in a natural progression from small hurdles to the climactic confrontation. There is no time wasted before dropping the main characters into the middle of a war and establishing clear stakes for all involved. The cast is relatively large, and I found myself pausing from time to time to take in all the new faces, particularly in the second act. That being said, a few moments of foreshadowing would have been a welcome addition, especially for the company of thieves and the critical role they play.
Reading a high fantasy story written in first-person point of view was refreshing, and the inclusion of a few passages from the perspectives of the antagonists were some of my favorite moments.
The descriptive language was compelling without being a distraction. I never lacked for a clear picture of the castles, towns, and forests traversed throughout the story. Additional sensory language would have been very welcome. Whenever a passage leaned into the reactions to pain, the gasps for breath, and the mental haziness of blood loss I found myself hungry for more.
What slowed me down the most as I was reading was the abundance of dialogue tags. While I never had to wonder who was speaking, I also found myself tempted to skim over the tags, most often when only two people were conversing.
Overall, the book left me feeling satisfied with the conclusion while simultaneously leaving enough mystery and open-ended elements in the world to pick up the next book in the series.
Tabetha Hite
Amazon Customer
This book was such an easy read. I have a few key notes I would like to mention.
1. The characters are light hearted and fun. They retain depth and development pretty well.
2. The story itself has a splendid mix of action and, I would say, fantasy.
3. I personally liked the story, however being an OCD reader the font and style of the chapter pages did bother me to a degree. It doesn’t take away from the story by any means though.
4. It felt more like I was reading someone’s journal as opposed to a story, which made it seem more personal in a way. I don’t tend to like that style but it worked in favor of the book in this instance.
5. This would be well suited for a young adult audience as well as an adult audience.
6. It does an amazing job correlating story to scripture and speaking truth through the pages of the book. I really loved that aspect!
Publishing Information
Publisher: Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark
Publish Date: March 18, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-1548854362 (Amazon) and 979-8-9925743-4-0 (every other platform)
Available Rights: Nicholas M. Krohn
Book Dimensions: 6 x 0.63 x 9 inches
Pages: 194 (KDP paperback)
Language: English
Selling Territory: Worldwide