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Alec Hutson
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The Crimson Queen (The Raveling Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Alec Hutson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,253 ratings
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2016 Ink and Insights Competition - Judges' Favorite
2017 Readers' Favorite Award for Epic Fantasy
2nd in the 2017 SPFBO
#1 Amazon Best Seller in Epic Fantasy

Long ago, the world fell into twilight, when the great empires of old consumed each other in sorcerous cataclysms. In the south the Star Towers fell, swallowed by the sea, while the black glaciers descended upon the northern holdfasts, entombing the cities of Min-Ceruth in ice and sorcery. Then from the ancient empire of Menekar the paladins of Ama came, putting every surviving sorcerer to the sword and cleansing their taint from the land for the radiant glory of their lord.

The pulse of magic slowed, fading like the heartbeat of a dying man.

But after a thousand years it has begun to quicken again.

In a small fishing village, a boy with strange powers comes of age... A young queen rises in the west, fanning the long-smoldering embers of magic into a blaze once more... Something of great importance is stolen - or freed - from the mysterious Empire of Swords and Flowers... And the immortals who survived the ancient cataclysms bestir themselves, casting about for why the world is suddenly changing...
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Raveling
  2. Print length
    423 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    December 3, 2016
  6. File size
    7354 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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  1. The arrogance of writing comes not from the finished creation, but from the very act itself. What hubris is required for a single mind to believe that its thoughts should populate the world? What unbridled arrogance is it to disperse ideas like the petals of a dandelion in the wind, allowing them to float free, to germinate in the minds of others like an invasive weed?
    Highlighted by 176 Kindle readers
  2. “There are no gods, paladin. There is no afterlife, no eternal reward. You, in fact, are a slave to a creature you cannot even comprehend.”
    Highlighted by 125 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you're looking for the next big thing in epic fantasy . . . then look no further." - Will Wight, bestselling author of Unsouled and Blackflame

 "Fresh, imaginative fantasy. The Crimson Queen introduces a world filled with powerful magic, clashing cultures, and epic conflicts. I couldn't put it down, and I can't wait to see where Alec Hutson takes this next." - AC Cobble, bestselling author of Benjamin Ashwood

"Imagine the best of Robert Jordan's worldbuilding skills, laced with Terry Brooks' fluid characterization and topped off with a pinch of David Gemmell's heroic fantasy escapades. Then you get an indication of the fun that awaits when you crack open The Crimson Queen." - Fantasy Book Critic

"Fan of George RR Martin and Will Wight will love The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson. Hutson's prose is lyrical and spellbinding and will whisk you away to a world so vivid you can almost imagine you are living the adventure as it unfolds. A mesmerizing and grandiose tale that readers of epic fantasy will not want to miss!" - David Estes, #1 Amazon bestselling author of Fatemarked.
"I enjoyed the hell out of this book, and I think it deserves to be noticed as a worthy title to put on high fantasy bookshelves." - Bookworm Blues

"Scads of history and magical lore to delve into . . . a sparkling debut." - Kirkus

"An incredibly captivating debut with an intricate world-building and a meticulously beautiful writing style . . . The Crimson Queen feels like classic epic fantasy with a modern epic fantasy voice." - Petrik Leo at Novel Notions

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01MRTK9NF
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alec Hutson (December 3, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 3, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7354 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 423 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,253 ratings

About the author

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Alec Hutson

Alec Hutson

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Alec Hutson grew up in a geodesic dome and a bookstore, and currently lives in Shanghai, China. If you would like to keep current with his writing, please stop by authoralechutson.com and sign up for his monthly newsletter.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
3,253 global ratings
Can't wait for the sequel!
5 Stars
Can't wait for the sequel!
I had been dying for another engrossing fantasy novel to read after finishing the 'Song of Ice and Fire' series, and 'Crimson Queen' did not disappoint. The characters are fascinating, and there's so much more I want to know about them. The universe imagined by the author is, frankly, mind-blowingly creative. At this point I'm just waiting on the next in the series--and hoping there are many more to come.
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Top reviews from the United States

Me like donuts
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, A solid well-rounded story!
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2024
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I have been so sick and tired of trying to find a book that was worth the effort of reading it lol. This is a great book, good action, nice solid plot, without all of the filler that most of the most popular authors love to cram throughout. Well, done and thank you
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Gabe
4.0 out of 5 stars The writing wasn't terrible, and the characters were diverse enough and fresh ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2017
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Enjoyable, fairly rounded book. The writing wasn't terrible, and the characters were diverse enough and fresh enough to engage the reader. The story was fun, the writer didn't feel the need to hold back and he takes it different places. If you're just looking for a book to read I would feel comfortable recommending this book. The main character comes off young and flat, but to be honest I kind of just ignored him the whole book. The side characters carried the story and are really what drove the story forward. If you're looking for a power fantasy where you see a main character grow and develop... this isn't it. He is a teenager that discovers something about himself, and he pretty much ends where he started. His choices matured, but the story takes part in about a month so I'm ok with minor growth. GG.
One person found this helpful
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Lu
5.0 out of 5 stars The world sucked me in and characters were so interesting and well ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2017
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Two months ago I opened Crimson Queen and DNF-ed it after few pages. I’m not sure why. Evidence suggests I have some undiagnosed neurological issue because once I opened it a few days ago I couldn’t put it down. The world sucked me in and characters were so interesting and well written that I was anxiously followed their fates.

The story starts familiarly. Our main character comes from a small fishing village. His mother was a stranger saved from the sea by his father. Her past is unknown, her fate was cruel – villagers killed her after accusing her of sorcery. It seems Keilan has her power. Actually, it seems he has a lot of power as in the beginning of the book he almost wakes up a sleeping god. It wasn’t unnoticed by other forces presented in the book. It seems everybody’s interested in Keilan – an Empire who hates magic and wants to Cleanse him, a brilliant and cynical immortal who has her plans for him, Crimson Queen who plans to bring back magic to the world.

The book is told through few POVS and we get almost all the goodies fantasy can offer. There’s a Paladin, swords with names, a holy empire that hates magic, shape shifters, demons, mysterious assassins who move through shadows and use blades made of the night. There’s also an immortal wizard who pulls all of the strings from behind the scenes. Personally, I love these tropes, especially when they’re done well.

The story is quite complex and immersive. I’m satisfied with all reveals and twists. I can see that some readers may accuse the book of being based on tropes but personally I don’t mind. I like tropes.
The writing style is flowery in places and rich and I liked that. The writing, unveiling the pot and the world through the eyes of multiple characters kept the story fresh and interesting. I rooted for all characters, even the evil ones who are quite fascinating. The character I somehow relate most to was, unexpectedly, Jan. I really wonder what plans Alec Hutson has for him? I’ll be sure to check it once the sequel hits the shelves.

Of course, it wasn’t perfect – some events weren’t fully explained. In some moments the story felt too rushed, in others possibly interesting times were summed up in few pages (Keilan stay at Scholia, students interactions). It won’t change my rating though as the book was hard to put down and never failed at keeping up the tension.

It’s also worth noting Crimson Queen has a great balance between darker and lighter tones. Personally, I dislike books that try to be ultra-grim just for the sake of it. In Crimson Queen we experience tragedy and loss of characters we may start to root for and yet there’s still hope and some light left.

Well done Mr. Hutson. I want a sequel. Right now
28 people found this helpful
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John Kang
5.0 out of 5 stars Rich, multicultural world building, intricate plot, and dazzling writing.
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2017
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I wasn’t sure how to review Crimson Queen without giving away the mind-blowing revelation near the end, but here goes:

If you love classic fantasy, read this book!

If you love multiple points of view that weave together a complex tapestry of a plot, read this book!

If you love incredible world building and beautiful prose, read this book!

Whew, I’m glad I got that off my chest.

Honestly, I had a hard time getting into the story from the start, since I didn’t see where the tale was headed, and it took several chapters before even learning who the title character was. However, that wondrous, multicultural world building, and unrivaled word-smithing kept me going until the I felt invested in the characters and intrigued with the storyline.

The setting is reminiscent of the post-Roman Empire world, stretching from a Western Europe to a Middle East, and including characters who hail as far away as a pseudo-China. Taking many forms, magic peaked a thousand years before, before a cataclysmic event shattered the world. The story revolves around the rebirth of magic, and not everyone is happy about that.

Crimson Queen is about as close to perfection as it gets, though I do feel the “main” character isn’t as involved in the resolution of the central conflict as he should be; and sometimes, the beautiful language is repeated too often. I probably saw “detritus” more times in the pages of Crimson Queen than I have since I was studying for the SAT. Therefore, I can only give it a 4.99999999.
One person found this helpful
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Nathan Cutler
4.0 out of 5 stars An incredible debut worthy of #2 in the SPFBO
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018
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Hutson’s debut novel is extremely well written and has some great, relatable characters. The story is fairly linear and many questions are answered along the way. A few small twists regarding the Queen were easy to see coming but nonetheless enjoyable when revealed.

I found my self at times not fully pulled into the story, hence my rating of 4 stars instead of 5. It was not the type of story for me that was a constant page turner despite every chapter advancing the plot. Nonetheless I highly recommend this novel which rightfully was #2 in this years SPFBO and I’m eagerly awaiting the second in the series.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Best fantasy I have read in a long while
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024
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Fascinating characters and amazing world building. This is like reading a collaboration between David Eddings and Fritz Lieber with a touch of Michael Moorcock and Robert E. Howard thrown in.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars gripping and original
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2022
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Wow! I read a lot of fantasy but this is one of the best I’ve read in years. Great storyline, absolutely absorbing with strong characters.
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Lord rascal
5.0 out of 5 stars One helluva series
Reviewed in India on July 26, 2021
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When I picked this book and started reading through this it felt like the old formula of the chosen and the prophecy and the boy who comes into his powers.. But no. There are chosen. There are prophecies and there is a boy. But the story is hardly just about him. This series is written from the viewpoints of various people who have joined in this journey along the way..and boy oh boy, this is so interesting.

Sometimes i did wish that the chapters were longer or that the book could have been more fleshed out.. but not by much.

I am on the third book now and I can't wait to finish it and at the same time i do want to finish this series.
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Joel Mensah
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for epic fantasy fans
Reviewed in Canada on January 26, 2017
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Amazing book and a must read for any epic fantasy fan. Sometimes a book just grips you and doesn't let go till the end, this is one of those books. Great world building and character development. Even though at it's core it's the usual farm boy to hero story, with a cataclysm on the horizon, it remains fresh for some reason and is simply really enjoyable to read. I don't know how many books are planned but I'm looking forward to reading them all. Best of luck to you Alec, your future looks bright.
One person found this helpful
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Grungle
5.0 out of 5 stars What a read
Reviewed in Australia on May 30, 2018
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As an older guy who has just completed re-reading all of Eddings and Feist for about the 15th time (and loving the books still). I needed some new epic fantasy, I couldn't have chosen better, great characters, great well fleshed out world and a compelling story. Serious page turner and a great read
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A good first book
Reviewed in India on April 11, 2019
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What I liked-
1. A mysterious magic system. Doesn't go in too much details
2. Not simple good vs evil story. Each character has a gray area.
3. Coming of age story for young Keilan

What I disliked -
1. Pacing seemed bit off at times.

Overall verdict -
A good solid read that opens a new world to the reader.
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