Books Butterfly Editorial Reviews

Beginning of Arrogance (A Paladin’s Journey) by Bryan Cole – Editorial Review

Beginning of Arrogance by Bryan Cole is a superbly crafted Epic Military Fantasy which manages to balance magic, action, fantasy, and adventure into a cohesive and pleasurable Epic Fantasy read.

Books Butterfly Editorial Review of Beginning of Arrogance by Bryan Cole

Introduction & Context

Step into the captivating world of Bryan Cole’s “Beginning of Arrogance: A Paladin’s Journey” where the depths of treacherous caves become the stage for an enthralling fantasy adventure. In this editorial review, we’ll uncover the magic, suspense, and character dynamics that make this book a promising start to an epic journey.

Main Review for Beginning of Arrogance

The story’s protagonist, Master Krell, is a Paladin who leads his team into dangerous caves. Master Krell and his team are not just fighting creatures, they are also dealing with conflicts among themselves. This dual tension adds a lot to the book.

Bryan Cole skillfully adds suspense as the team discovers several mysterious elements – Mixing danger and possible rewards into the core story.

Interactions between characters, especially the tension between Krell and Orca, hint at a bigger conflict beyond the immediate dangers of the cave. This adds a lot of nuance and sets up the series very well. We like this device (tension and intrigue in the background) for setting up an Epic Fantasy series.

As we move on in the story, Cole shows a world where danger is both above and below the waves, threatening Watford, a peaceful town. The brave Krell, along with strong Orca and mysterious Tristan, face chaos on a ship carrying not just smugglers but also a mysterious creature.

Cole’s vivid descriptions and well-built characters, such as Krell’s mentor priest Olgar, create an engaging story. As the potential alliance between sea devils and smugglers is revealed, urgency builds, promising more conflicts and leaving readers excited about the mysteries and wonders that will unfold in the rest of this well-constructed Fantasy series.

Strengths

1. Character Dynamics: The palpable tension between characters, notably Krell and Orca, adds depth and unpredictability to the narrative. The characters are very real and vivid.
2. Magical Elements: Seamless integration of magical elements enhances the fantastical nature of the story, striking a balance between lighter moments and a serious tone. This is a very tough thing to do in Fantasy and it’s great to see the author succeed.
3. Suspenseful Pacing: Cole’s well-timed pacing keeps readers engaged, uncovering mysteries and challenges at just the right moments.

This is a very strong addition to the Epic Fantasy genre and well worth a read for Epic Fantasy and Military Fantasy readers

Weaknesses

Cole’s adherence to classic Paladin tropes may make certain character traits and story arcs predictable.

Readers familiar with traditional Paladin narratives might anticipate moral dilemmas or character developments, reducing the surprise factor in the storyline.

Conclusion

“Beginning of Arrogance: A Paladin’s Journey” promises an exciting and engrossing fantasy series, expertly blending adventure, suspense, and character development.

Bryan Cole’s skill in crafting intricate character dynamics and seamlessly integrating magical elements demonstrates a mastery of the fantasy genre.

While better pacing in certain sections could enhance the reading experience, the overall narrative is strong and smooth. The first book lays the groundwork for an epic journey with promising character arcs and thrilling plot developments.

Overall Recommendation for Beginning of Arrogance

For those seeking an engaging mix of fantasy, suspense, and character-driven storytelling, “Beginning of Arrogance: A Paladin’s Journey” is a must-read.

For Epic Fantasy readers – 80/100. Strongly Recommended.

For Military Fantasy readers – 90/100. Very Strongly Recommended. The scarcity of good Military Fantasy makes The Beginning of Arrogance a must read.

For General Fantasy readers – Please note that this is an Epic Military Fantasy series and very true to these two genres (Epic Fantasy, Military Fantasy). Please be sure you like one or both of these genres.

For Adventure readers – 85/100. Very Strongly Recommended. This is a surprisingly good read for anyone who likes Adventure or Fantasy Adventure.

Curator’s Thoughts

Military Fantasy has a real shortage of good books so it is with great pleasure that we strongly recommend Bryan Cole’s superbly crafted Beginning of Arrogance to Epic Fantasy readers and Military Fantasy readers.

The Beginning of Arrogance creates a compelling Fantasy world while also creating suspense, intrigue, and a strong sense of adventure. We curate and promote a lot of books (over 10,000 a year) and a well written Military Epic Fantasy is pretty rare and a book to treasure.

Where to get Beginning of Arrogance by Bryan Cole

You can get Beginning of Arrogance at

1. Amazon’s Kindle Store for the eBook
2. Amazon.com for the Paperback
3. Amazon.com for the Hardcover
4. Audible for the Audiobook

You can read more about the author at his Amazon.com Author Page. That page also lists all his books, including two books in the A Paladin’s Journey series.