Golden Age (The Shifting Tides Book 1)

I downloaded this book to the Kindle app because it was free. This book is great. The story line keeps you intrigued and there are a lot of twists that keep you guessing. My 10, 12 and 14 year old sons all enjoyed this book.

Excellent story line by the author. The author weaves a tale of magic and takes his time in building the characters in the book. I enjoyed the human side of the three families he follows. The surprise twist for the hero left me completely unaware. Great read.

There are many great fiction tales of imaginary lands, heroes and heroines, dragons, changelings, giants, evil and greedy rulers...

James Maxwell threw in some unexpected twists and novelty. Surprises. Highly recommended.

A great read! Good storytelling and interesting characters. Looking forward to the 2nd book in the series and will purchase it when available. I love the fact also that there is no cliff hanger at the end forcing you purchase the next book to find out what happens. The book tells a complete story and is enjoyable enough that you will want to read further.

Entertaining sci-fi type adventure book that is part of a series. I enjoyed the character build -- there is depth and a good base on which to continue to build. It is not necessarily all happy ending and rainbow, so there is some "grit" to the storyline. There are similar type series that are out there and so if you like this genre, then I think you will go away looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I loved this book and only stopped reading it once before finishing it! I gave it a five star rating because it was everything I want in a book to keep me reading, can't wait to start the next book in the series!

The book started slow with the pace and character becoming more interesting. I like the Mythological feel to the story but I knew this was a part one of a series. I hope the second book picks up were the first left off with the promise of more intrigue. I gave the book four stars because of the slow start.

The author is creating a world with creatures we've never met before. I love sci-fi and fantasy, so suspending disbelief isn't hard for me. With this book, it took a chapter or two for me to get into, but once the story gets going, I found myself entirely invested in the story and the characters. Just ordered the follow up..,

This book was definitely worth taking the time to read. The plot was easy enough so you don't get lost in crazy amounts of details, but some well placed twists so that I didn't put the book down because I could guess what happens. The book is told (mostly) from two characters points of view, and written in a similar manner to Maxwell's Enchantress series (which I also loved). I enjoyed the Ancient Greece/Egypt feel for the new world, and no overly sappy parts (but some romantic interest). I really love this authors fantasy style, it's classy without being over the top.

The story was engaging and while it was rather fast-paced, the events followed a linear timeline that was easy to follow and not overly convoluted. Additionally, the author neatly filled in several key historical blanks that unfolded rather well within important point of the story. Overall, a very enjoyable book to read.

I liked the story line very much. The description of the places and the people was very good. The only thing I got bored with was some of the descriptions of places was really too long and I really wanted to read the story. I do like reading about olden times and the story was really good as far as that went.

Good book which held my interest from beginning to end. Loved the female character who was strong, smart, and full of adventure. The outcome for the male lead was surprising and makes me want to see what happens in the sequel.

This is a well conceived, and executed fantasy novel. It's action packed, and wholly engaging. It has the feel of a Greek Mythology. Absolutely a good book. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a fun fantasy story.

An enjoyable read, this book tells a complete story unlike many introductions to fantasy series. While the politics and battles form only a backdrop for the journey of the two main characters, I enjoyed the story for the world it hints at. Good editing and a solid arch earns this book five stars, and I look for to reading more by James Maxwell.

Maxwell has crafted a brilliant tale set in a Mediteranean-like world with cultures reminiscant of the ancient Greeks and Persians. The characters are well crafted, the pacing swift, and the story so riviting you'll have a hard time putting it down.

It’s defiantly fantasy where tulips and sunflowers reside together on the same terrace. I enjoyed this book enough to buy his other series. Lots of action, no romance, not predictable and not burdened with bogging detail. Was entertaining enough that I neglected other work to read the next chapter.

Well written and good story line. A fictional place and time but reminded me of the times in Greek mythology with mystical beings and the worship of the "Gods". A good story line with plenty of action and suspense. Just what I enjoy in a good book. Looking forward to Golden Age book 2.

Kind of formulaic. One thing I did like - the older brother who takes after the hero's father (who never loved the hero, since he was so weird) doesn't hate or disregard his hero brother. Much better relationship and probably the only surprise in the book.

Almost deleted before finishing. Took excessively long to get going. Worth a read if your a fan of his "Enchantress" series like me.
He takes a journey from the norm with new ideas and characters in this series.

Although some of the imagery is a little gory for my taste, and some of the lines are a little lacking in literary merit, and I can't believe I have to wait until November to read book two, I would say that I really enjoyed reading this book. The story has just enough twists to make for an interesting plot. If book 2 were already out, I would be adding it to my reading list.

Interesting story line with the feel of an alternate reality with a history reminiscent of Earth's ancient past. Heroes and villains are woven in a fantasy of love, lust, loyalty and cruelty. Worth the read. Enough I'll be following up with book 2.

Obviously based on the myths and fables of the Mediterranean basin, almost Sparta, nearly Athens, somewhat Egypt, etc. it was well written, but predictable. I would recommend it as light reading and will probably read the next (obviously forthcoming) installment.

Pretty decent, though I thought the plot twist was obvious. Additionally, this is the second free, new release for prime members ebook that I've read, and the second one that had a street rat with a heart of good that helps the protagonist in their time of need.

Still, entertaining and worth a read for fantasy fans looking for a unique setting.

Looking forward to the rest of the series, Great Work, Your imagination Sir is as awe inspiring as your homeland where I have traveled on both Islands, the south island is my favorite was there in 1974

Fantasy readers will not be disappointed. The story flows smoothly; keeping your interest with good character development so you love the heros/heroines and boo the bad guys without even trying. Read in one sitting and stayed up too late, always a good sign of a good book.

I really liked this book. Very well written, engaging, and quite interesting. The topic would not have been one I sought out, but, after reading the reviews, I thought that I would try it. I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID! I would read anything this author wrote!

Good, interesting - felt some of the 'math' towards the end was stretched (5000 solders on 24 ships 80 -feet long - not counting 2500 slave with food on a 3 day ocean trip ... didn't make sense, and since author 'owned' the battle, he could have adjusted to be more reasonable).

The development of characters was just about right. The scene was set without boring the reader with useless detail. The story flowed well. The segue between characters was smooth and easy to follow. Overall it was an easy read which is what I wanted!

Golden Age is generally a well written fantasy novel I enjoyed reading.

While the themes are nothing unique the tale is told well with central characters that are developed enough to evoke some genuine empathy from the reader. The plot has a few pleasant twists that helped maintain interest and by then end of the novel I was ready to find the next in the series.

Great story with good character development, lots of interesting twists and turns, loads of adventure. Already ordered the next one. Can't wait!! The author creates a fascinating world and let's you see it just as he imagins it

I read this because I absolutely loved Maxwell’s “The Evermen Saga”. At first I thought I would be disappointed. It started off with characters I didn’t care much about, but that quickly changed about a third of the way in. In the end, I was hooked and have swiftly moved on to the next book. I’m really glad I gave it a fair chance because it paid off.

This was a decent read if you enjoy fantasy. Takes place in a fantasy world similar to ancient Rome or Greece. Monsters, armies, kings and politicians. It started slow but by halfway through I wanted to keep reading.

Interesting read, thrilling and fun. Decent adventures, nice plot line, though skimpy on details occasionally. It starts off slowly but gradually builds momentum and ends as prophesied. Worth reading.

There are classic fantasy clichés throughout, and the descriptions do seem to drag on and be repetitive at times. Despite these shortcomings, the plot was more or less original, the characters were more than one-dimensional, the dialogue was strong, and the cities were vivid and had parallels much like cities on Earth. The series has good potential as it moves forward, and this was an enjoyable (and quick!) standalone novel.