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Cradle of Sea and Soil (Islandborn Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 44 ratings

The Primordial Wound has festered with corruption since the birth of the world. The island tribes have warred against its spawn for just as long—and they are losing.

Burdened by the same spiritual affliction that drove the first Halfborn insane, Colibrí lives in exile with little more than her warrior oaths and her son. But when Colibrí discovers corrupted land hidden away by sorcery, those same oaths drive her to find answers in an effort to protect the very people who fear her.

Narune dreams of earning enough glory to show that he and his mother Colibrí are nothing like the Halfborn that came before them. Becoming a mystic will give him the strength he needs, but first, Narune will need to prove himself worthy in a trial of skill and honor.

Together, Colibrí and Narune must learn to become the champions their people need—and face the curse threatening to scour away their spirits with fury.


Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08936MB2T
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Story Shrine (June 23, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 23, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 585 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 535 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 44 ratings

About the author

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Bernie Anés Paz
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Bernie Anés Paz is a Puerto Rican fantasy author with a passion for creating unique and exciting worlds. You can usually find him devouring fantasy books and story-rich video games, visual/graphic novels, and anime whenever he's not wordsmithing.

Bernie is also a former U.S. Army medic and spent most of his service working in an ER, which he considered an amazing and humbling experience. Before that, he worked for Dell, which helped spark his love for customizing tech and computer-building.

Currently, Bernie lives in Portland, Oregon, where he maintains an eternal quest for sunshine in a city that knows nothing but gray and rain.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
44 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2020
    Being from the West Indies, it is an absolute joy reading a book about a world I recognize and know intimately.

    From the heat, sweat, the sounds of the rain forest, to the terrifying force of the storms, this book resonates deeply for me.

    If you enjoy fantasy with hard, detailed magic, then you will enjoy this book. The spells have cool naming conventions and various schools that all have unique and interesting balances. Readers who enjoy reading about characters training new skills, learning magic and growing emotionally, physically, and increasing their skill and power will really dig this book.

    The plot is good, but I feel the real strength of this book is in the carefully constructed personalities of Colibri and her son Narune. The relationship felt authentic and as a young man who was mainly raised by a single mother I could relate to the struggles and triumphs these two shared. I liked that Narune was not your typical, edgy, cynical teenager. He was focused, brave, determined and most of all devoted. Colibri was a grown and sexy mom, and a decorated warrior, even though she was not celebrated. She was a warrior, no question about that, but still felt authentic as a mother and a woman. It is obvious the writer had a solid real world example to work from, which leant to making colibri relatable in her feelings.

    Pacing of the book was slower than I liked, but once you get use to the writers style I think readers will dig the pace. Action scenes were very detailed, especially when the combat included magic use. Again, readers who are into the magic systems will enjoy the strategic approach the writer takes with the use of these powers.

    The world was well developed and detailed. as someone who grew up in the islands, I feel the writer conveyed the atmosphere perfectly and readers tired of the same European style setting will be introduced to a truly different and exotic world.

    Overall, as a self-published book it is clear that a lot of love and attention went into this book. Their were errors in the book, very few in the first two acts and a bit more in the last act, but it was not so bad that it will break your immersion or ruin the story. Overall a very good showing for a first in series and I will 100% be getting book two.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2021
    Cradle of Sea and Soil treads strange ground. It's strengths lie in its unique aesthetic, fantastic powers, and above all, the existential world conflict at the root of the story. But in the midst of all this creative storytelling lies a single wound that I struggled with through my read.

    This is a story about two people proving their worth and trying to find their place in this world. Narune and his mother, Colibri, were born as Halfborn. Fated to die, considered too dangerous to live, but despite the vows of their people they survive as outcasts. And now, as danger ramps up and the people who spurned them are threatened with what could be extinction, they both find themselves key to the conflict.

    And what a conflict it is! The dread of the mindless foe they face is staggering, and the world they live in is so colorful and dangerous. I loved the magic the spiritseers wield, and wish I could have seen more of it before we escalated into the final battle. Each battle or ritual or discovery is beautifully painted, and thematically everything comes together well. Cradle of Sea and Soil is a good book.

    Which makes it sad that the 'wound' tripped me up, and that wound for me was the characters. I failed to care for them as much as I wanted to. I have a guess as to why. Both Narune and his mother Colibri are supposedly 'flawed.' They endure a constant voice that calls them to violence. Colibri is impulsive, an oathbreaker, and Narune follows in her footsteps. He's sometimes dishonest toward her as well, keeping secrets. And yet, when it comes to the story or the combat or the relationships Narune and Colibri have, the two of them are never really at fault. They are loving, forgiving, excellent warriors, near-perfect at what they do. Even negative traits I outlined above end up as positives, in the context of the story. They are all but flawless, and for me, that weakened the story.

    Cradle of Sea and Soil is not a bad tale by any means. It is a tried and true story set in a beautifully original world. But the main characters are too perfect for my tastes, too competent and forgiving and free of consequential mistakes. If that doesn't sound like a flaw, give this one a go! The world alone is worth the read.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2021
    Skies aflame, I hope I never have to face a halja, for they sound absolutely terrifying. The world-building in this novel, particularly with respect to the Stillness, is both amazing and terrifying. The descriptions are such that I could envision the Stillness invading the world, and shudder at the thought. I truly hope I never have to experience anything like it.

    That the author was able to connect me so much with hus created world speaks to his skill with the word. And that skill does not stop with the terrifying. The character development is very good, and I felt connected to the characters to the point that I laughed and cried, was hurt and betrayed, felt joy and love right alongside them. That doesn't always happen with a book, so I enjoy it when it does.

    As for this novel in particular, let's just say that I really look forward to reading the sequel, so I can see how the story continues.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2023
    This is a great example of how fantasy works should be. A fully realized world that is a joy to experience and explore, with characters that interact with the world in the most natural way.
    The story itself is a brilliant mix of family, tradition, struggle, and adventure. I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anybody.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2023
    I love this book. It had such a unique magic system centering on nature and the cycle of life. It was a love story centered around family, community, and friendship.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2020
    I really love the premise and was drawn in by the cover and the blurb. Unfortunately, the story tells fairly slow and I quickly lost interest.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2020
    Was much more than I expected. Duplicated words and some poor sentences started showing up in the last 1/3rd of the book. But other than that I'm excited for the sequel!
    One person found this helpful
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