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The Miyran Heir: Journey of the Marked
The mark means honor. The mark invites death.
On a distant planet, Eros thrives in the Human settlement he calls home. Raised to follow his grandfather’s noble footsteps, he studies the details of each species that co-exist here. But when the mark appears, he’s called to fight, which changes his life forever.
Forced to abandon his home, the mark makes him the hunted. He’s attacked the night he arrives in the city. A tough, street fighter named Kenrya saves his life. When they join others on the same journey, her cynical attitude drives a wedge between the group.
Given the perils facing them, can they put aside their differences and trust each other long enough to survive?
Discover this epic adventure where an individual’s unique abilities can change the course of the future.
Check out an excerpt from The Journey of the Marked here: Excerpt
Featured Reviews
My Book Troll
By Teen Book Troll, March 22, 2014
“Many authors try to get their book published. Not all make it. Rebecca P. McCray’s debut novel, The Journey of the Marked, will. The good writing, the setting, and intriguing story line make McCray’s book worth the read. I found this as a critic for LitPick, a site for new authors and teen readers. After I read the summary, I downloaded it and finished in a day. It’s new so you have to buy the eBook from Amazon for $3.99. I prefer hard copy books, but this was easy enough to read and let’s face it, a quarter of book sales are digital.
Readers don’t like changing points of view and McCray rotates narrators each chapter between the five marked and their parents. This lets the reader understand the characters in depth and get inside their head. As I was reading I’d find I was longing to hear what was happening to them. I feel like I know these characters and would want to know them in real life.
McCray writes formally and sometimes makes me laugh.
“They were probably traveling clothes common to Humans, though she lacked sufficient knowledge of the species to be certain.” Chapter 1
It takes a couple chapters to get used to, but it’s entertaining. It reinforces how different their world is from ours today.
McCray’s setting makes this book, like how the setting in Harry Potter and The Hobbit makes the story come alive. She creates her own planet (Zolei) with twenty different species. She tells the story of the five marked, their parents, and what happens to them. Eros, a human, is the leader and a strong fighter; Kenrya, a tenacious Arlian; Tip the Liput, an expert mechanic and tinker; Prizene the first female Krystic ever to be marked; and Azetan, a warrior who can breathe under water.
Throughout their journey to a safe haven, they meet people who help them and people who want to kill them. They make friends, help creatures, and save lives. I liked how McCray had placed old men in the forest, whose purpose was to help the marked reach their destination. She shows us there are people who will help those in need, regardless of the risk. It also shows how even after you finish the most exciting endeavor, there is always another adventure.
I wonder what will happen to Eros and the group; will they still be hunted? Will they ever be safe?”
Amazon
A Gripping Fantasy Adventure! May 20, 2015
By The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
“This book was recently entered and was a FINALIST in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Star Rating: 5 stars
Number of Readers: 27
Readers’ Comments
‘This is such a fantastic story. I loved all the fantasy elements in it. I liked the plot. It reminded me a bit of Hunger Games.’ Girl, aged 13
‘This is the most interesting character book I have read for along time. The author tells us so much about all the animals and monsters in the story. The adventure they go on is exciting too and I liked the way the characters worked together to survive.’ Boy, aged 15
‘Firstly, the cover is excellent. Secondly, the teenagers in my Year 10 group enjoyed the book very much. They loved all the twists and turns and the mystical planet they live and fight on. There’s a lot of characters to take in and the Glossary helps a lot. This is a well researched and thought out fantasy novel with lots of pace.’ Teacher, Year 10
‘For me, this was by far the best book I read for The Wishing Shelf Awards.’ Boy, aged 13
Stats
Of the 27 readers:
26 would read another book by this author.
24 felt the depth of the characters and setting was the best part of the story.
3 thought the plot was the best.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
‘A gripping fantasy adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Awards ”
Next Book to Add to Classics Section? May 18, 2015
By Mrs. K. McClelland
“Sat down to read this today, thought I’d give half an hour
Eight hours later – book devoured from first to last page.
I had to stop myself from reading it too fast to get to the next bit in case I missed something.
Last time I felt like that about a book was when I read Harry Potter.
The imagery, the characters, plot just take on a life of their own.
Would have given it more stars :0).
Sincerely hope it’s not too long for the second book, more, more, more of this please.”
Goodreads
By Tom Fallwell, April 18, 2015
“This is what I like to call “Deep Fantasy”. This is imagination at its best. The author has created something unique, beautiful and fantastic in this first novel of the series. I was immediately drawn into the story and entranced. This is magnificent reading for fantasy lovers.
The author’s skill is considerable. She creates characters that are alive and breathing in the reader’s own imagination. Each character is unique and eloquently described. The descriptions are not too sparse, giving the reader enough to picture them, but also not too much, allowing the reader to picture them in their own way. I doubt two readers would picture any character in exactly the same way, yet they have distinguishing features described that one reader would recognize what another was describing.
The scenery is well portrayed and imagined, allowing the reader to picture this alien planet in great detail, but without spending too much time to describe them. The author has hit a perfect balance in this regard and her skills shine in this novel.
This is a gret book, and I feel it deserves the highest ratings. I look forward to the next book in the series with great interest and a desire to know more about this wonderful fantasy world that the author has created. All I can say is, this is a must read for true fantasy fans.”