Zenith - The First Book of Ascension
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Imagine
A mountain so great it takes a year to travel from base to summit
A sun so powerful it drives you into madness if you look at it
An ascent so vital it determines the fate of the world
A summit so precious it holds the key to the divine
The world of the great Mountain is unstable. Giant pillars erupt from the surface and yawning chasms form unpredictably underfoot. Since the Maelir first stood on its slopes in the distant past, they have sought to still its anger and control its power. Each year, twin brothers are chosen to make a perilous journey to the summit. If they survive they will be witness to Zenith, and the secrets and power will be revealed to them. Atreu and his brother Teyth have been chosen to ascend, but this time unknown forces who have long craved the power of Zenith will stop at nothing to make it their own… even if it means destroying the very thing that sustains all life – the Mountain itself.
Can you see the story breathing?
Can you see the story breathing?
He looked up. Something with massive flat wings hovered just above his head. It was dark against the dark sky. Its claws reached out for him and Atreu covered his eyes. There was a sound of footfalls behind him.'Come on!' The call was urgent. Atreu uncovered his eyes to look at the thing above him. The snow swirled and eddied around it. There were no claws; they were arms reaching out for him, imploring him to grab hold. The footsteps were almost upon him when he lunged at the arms and held tight. He felt an immediate rush of air as he was lifted upwards. A windrider! He tried to look up at the man who was holding him. His jaw was grimly set in place, and he was looking past Atreu's head at the ground below. Just then an arrow whistled through the air.
Praise for Zenith
“Dirk Strasser’s Zenith… is on my list of all-time worldwide Top Ten fantasy novels… It does what all good quest novels do, and does it better than almost any of them – that is, it creates wonders.”
Richard Harland, author of Worldshaker
“Wow, this fable-like story is entirely unique and imaginative that it takes on a mythical world all of its own. I’ve never read anything like it and I’d be fascinated to read more… The amount of adventure and creativity packed into this book is astounding. In this way I can only compare it to Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, but the world Strasser has created is very different.”
Nikki Mason on behalf of Best Chick Lit
“A powerful coming-of-age fantasy tale… Ultimately a rich and strongly written fantasy tale, highly recommended to lovers of the genre.”
Amazon review
"I found myself getting wrapped up in the book; I read the last two hundred pages in a single sitting, intrigued as to where it was heading. The Zen (ith?) philosophy behind it appealed to me far more than the mythology behind most fantasy novels, and the history and feel of the nameless land in which the story takes place were engaging... Zenith deserves to sell as many copies as all the other best-selling quest fantasy novels which fill our bookstores, if only because it does what they do as well as (if not better than) they do it. Zenith is enjoyable, entertaining and, in the end, a satisfying read. What more can I ask for?"
Eidolon
“More of this please… a real story, real characters with believable backgrounds… a colossal canvas… and a good story.”
Australian Realms
“Zenith moves along at a good pace and has a strong central character. Strasser handles the elements of mysticism with insight and still keeps an entertaining flow… a mind-blowing metaphysical experience.”
The Courier-Mail
"At last in the world of letters we have a novel where women approach a patriarchal religion with the appropriate attitude… Zenith is a good read; it is also both original and intellectually stimulating.”
The Mentor
“It really flows along wonderfully – and dozens of scenes, incidents and ideas are absolutely marvelous and will have readers wanting more… an engrossing story that touches serious issues… a good read.”
Van Ikin
“Strasser discusses his ideas with both sensibility and compassion… He has something to say, and says it in an entertaining fashion and with conviction. I enjoyed this novel enormously.”
Aurealis
“Masterful fantasy…”
Corine Ann Barnes, Amazon reviewer
“Stopping reading Zenith wasn't an option… Reading this book has opened up a whole new genre of books for me to read and enjoy.”
Amazon review
“This book is for all ages. You can read it at face value and enjoy the journey up the mountain with all its battles and enchanted creatures/people that are met along the way. But for those who like a little mystery or deeper meaning to a story line you will not be disappointed with the twists and turns during the adventure.”
Amazon review
This novel swept me up and kept me interested right to the very last page… The world Dirk Strasser has created in genuinely original and fascinating… I really found it hard to stop reading. In fact, this was one of those books that I began to lament ending. The book is packed full of ideas that could spawn books in their own right, and the author’s very direct writing style gave the plot a well-balanced sense of pace and immediacy that kept me interested. I will be reading this author’s other works, and if they are anywhere near as good as this one, I can tell I won't be disappointed.
S. M. Brown, Amazon reviewer
If you want to know more about Zenith, read this review.
Richard Harland, author of Worldshaker
“Wow, this fable-like story is entirely unique and imaginative that it takes on a mythical world all of its own. I’ve never read anything like it and I’d be fascinated to read more… The amount of adventure and creativity packed into this book is astounding. In this way I can only compare it to Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, but the world Strasser has created is very different.”
Nikki Mason on behalf of Best Chick Lit
“A powerful coming-of-age fantasy tale… Ultimately a rich and strongly written fantasy tale, highly recommended to lovers of the genre.”
Amazon review
"I found myself getting wrapped up in the book; I read the last two hundred pages in a single sitting, intrigued as to where it was heading. The Zen (ith?) philosophy behind it appealed to me far more than the mythology behind most fantasy novels, and the history and feel of the nameless land in which the story takes place were engaging... Zenith deserves to sell as many copies as all the other best-selling quest fantasy novels which fill our bookstores, if only because it does what they do as well as (if not better than) they do it. Zenith is enjoyable, entertaining and, in the end, a satisfying read. What more can I ask for?"
Eidolon
“More of this please… a real story, real characters with believable backgrounds… a colossal canvas… and a good story.”
Australian Realms
“Zenith moves along at a good pace and has a strong central character. Strasser handles the elements of mysticism with insight and still keeps an entertaining flow… a mind-blowing metaphysical experience.”
The Courier-Mail
"At last in the world of letters we have a novel where women approach a patriarchal religion with the appropriate attitude… Zenith is a good read; it is also both original and intellectually stimulating.”
The Mentor
“It really flows along wonderfully – and dozens of scenes, incidents and ideas are absolutely marvelous and will have readers wanting more… an engrossing story that touches serious issues… a good read.”
Van Ikin
“Strasser discusses his ideas with both sensibility and compassion… He has something to say, and says it in an entertaining fashion and with conviction. I enjoyed this novel enormously.”
Aurealis
“Masterful fantasy…”
Corine Ann Barnes, Amazon reviewer
“Stopping reading Zenith wasn't an option… Reading this book has opened up a whole new genre of books for me to read and enjoy.”
Amazon review
“This book is for all ages. You can read it at face value and enjoy the journey up the mountain with all its battles and enchanted creatures/people that are met along the way. But for those who like a little mystery or deeper meaning to a story line you will not be disappointed with the twists and turns during the adventure.”
Amazon review
This novel swept me up and kept me interested right to the very last page… The world Dirk Strasser has created in genuinely original and fascinating… I really found it hard to stop reading. In fact, this was one of those books that I began to lament ending. The book is packed full of ideas that could spawn books in their own right, and the author’s very direct writing style gave the plot a well-balanced sense of pace and immediacy that kept me interested. I will be reading this author’s other works, and if they are anywhere near as good as this one, I can tell I won't be disappointed.
S. M. Brown, Amazon reviewer
If you want to know more about Zenith, read this review.