Title: Children of the Fallen Empire: The Tera-Ninja Saga, Book 1
Author: Killian Tiwari
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1-5320-2226-5
Pages: 546
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Reviewed by: Susan Milam

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Children of the Fallen Empire: The Tera-Ninja Saga, Book 1 begins the epic adventures of Johnny Dragos; Alex, his brother; and Sasha, the displaced heir to the Pyrion Empire. Author Killian Tiwari skillfully weaves his way through flashbacks and multiple points of view to tell the story of his three protagonists as they come to grips with their powers and their histories. Along the way, Johnny, Alex and Sasha find themselves pulled into the fight to resist the Astrakon Empire, avenge their forbears and lay claim to their heritages.

Seventeen-year-old Johnny Dragos wakes from a fitful night of sleep. Johnny and his brother Alex were rescued from the fall of the Pyrion Empire some thirteen years ago, and since that time he has been plagued by dreams of the fighting. This morning, Mage – the powerful Tera-Ninja who saved Johnny and Alex and became their surrogate father – sends Johnny and his friend Kell to the Chara Market on some errands. Reluctantly, the two young men head off on what should be a short journey. Little do they know that the day’s events will turn the world around them upside down,reintroduce Johnny to a childhood friend and set the stage for a renewed struggle against the evil Astrakon Empire.

The Prologue Children of the Fallen Empire: The Tera-Ninja Saga, Book 1 immediately plunges the reader into the action, although it is unclear at the time precisely what that action is. As the pages turn and Johnny Dragos’ dreams continue, the story of the demise of the Pyrion Empire begins to take shape. Not content to glide between Johnny’s present and Johnny’s unsettling visions of his past, the author moves amongst the stories of the Dragos brothers, their Tera-Ninja caretaker Mage and the hidden world of Xanadria where Sasha, the beautiful heir to the Pyrion throne, has been safeguarded. Each chapter deepens the complexity of the plot and its characters while introducing more storylines and new heroes and villains. The various narratives collide and careen, and every turn of the plot pulls the reader deeper into the book’s world. Despite the increasing intricacy of the story, the author never allows it to become cluttered or nonsensical. In the latter half of the book, the writer introduces Cirrus and Lena, two strong new characters whose histories further define the evil of Astrakon’s rulers. As the book draws to a close, the moral dilemmas Cirrus and Lena face pull together the previous narrative threads and propel the saga forward into the volume to come.

Children of the Fallen Empire: The Tera-Ninja Saga, Book 1 is a strong new entrant into the science fiction/fantasy genre. Killian Tiwari takes the proven tropes of the category and adds interesting new perspectives that reinvigorate the traditional journeys of protagonists reclaiming their rightful places. In addition, the book provides strong female characters and a tale that keeps the action coming from unexpected angles at a fast and furious pace. Science fiction/fantasy fans will find much to like in Mr. Tiwari’s tale, including a climax that leaves readers hungering for another installment.