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C. A. King
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Escape To Darkness (Tomoiya's Story Book 1) Kindle Edition

by C.A. King (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 92 ratings
A Vampire Tale

Space travel. To some it is an advancement; a way to meet new races, learn new traditions; explore new cultures - a chance to expand the mind with knowledge of the unknown. To others, it is nothing more than a new outlet of resources to exploit and destroy. To the naive and trusting it is a recipe for disaster. The question of whether or not venturing into the realm of the stars is worthwhile, is a topic that will be argued for generations to come.

The Universe - vast and never ending. It recycles within itself. What happened before comes full circle and occurs again. Some call it fate - others destiny.

Two different ages - Two vampire princesses.

Two stories - one written in a book - the other about to begin.

Escape To Darkness tells the tale of Allaynie, a vampire whose tears are worth a fortune. A chance meeting on her wedding day changes her whole existence.
and
Woden, a man to whom greed is merely good business. Hunting is his trade. He'll do anything to collect her unique tears for profit, even chase her into darkness.

This novella explores an alternate explanation for the myths and legends that surround modern day Vampires and can be read as a stand alone story.
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Tomoiya's Story
  2. Print length
    104 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    September 24, 2016
  5. File size
    941 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviewed by Arya Fomonyuy for Readers' Favorite - 5 stars

Tomoiya's Story: Escape to Darkness by C.A. King is a compelling story that will make a wonderful addition to the bookshelves of fans of supernatural stories. It is well-crafted with compelling characters and a gripping plot. The author plucks readers from their immediate setting and takes them on a rollicking adventure with her characters. Allaynie is a vampire who possesses a priceless asset, one that everyone covets -- her tears. Woden is a hunter and a very greedy man who will stop at nothing to get a drop of Allaynie's tears. Will anyone be able to stop the determined hunter and where can Allaynie find refuge? This is a great story with a unique take on the world of vampires.

When you have read many vampire stories, you tend to see the same concepts rehashed or reformulated over and over, and it can be very boring for readers looking for new exciting stories. But that isn't the case with Tomoiya's Story: Escape to Darkness. C.A. King features great originality in her work and creates an exciting setting for her readers. I was hooked right off the bat and couldn't help reading till the surprising denouement of this story. I felt it was too short, but it was a delightful read. The writing is great and readers will be immersed in the powerful descriptions, seduced by the strong narrative voice, and captivated by the extraordinary setting. The author has succeeded in creating a fantasy world where readers can escape and explore other possibilities. It's a great success in the supernatural genre.

From the Author

 2018 Readers' Favorite Bronze Medal Winner in the Fiction - New Adult genre! 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01KBVR2GM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 2nd edition (September 24, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 24, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 941 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 104 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 92 ratings

About the author

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C. A. King

C. A. King

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USA Today Bestselling & Award Winning Author, C.A. King, was born and raised in Halton County. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her two sons.

After the loss of her loving parents and husband, Ms. King was devastated. She decided to retire from the workforce for a year or two to do some soul searching. It was during this time that writing became her passion. She found she was able to redirect her emotions through her writing and decided to publish some of her works.

Awards include:

USA Today Bestselling Author 2020

Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Award in the Best Local Author category 2017 & 2018 & 2019

Brant News Readers' Choice Award: Best Local Author 2017

Readers' Favorite International Book Awards: Best Novella/Short Story 2017 Silver medal

2017 SIBA Awards - Best Novella

2017 SIBA Awards - Best New Adult

2018 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards: Gold Medal in the Fiction - Supernatural genre

2018 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards: Bronze Medal in the Fiction - New Adult genre

2019 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Fiction - Supernatural genre

2019 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban genre

City of Brantford Featured Artist February 2020

Burlington Post Readers' Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020

Toronto Star Readers' Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020

Carol Ann King is proud to have her name join the list of Canadian born authors. She hopes her writing will help inspire another generation of Canadians to continue adding to the literary heritage and rich culture Canada already has to offer.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
92 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this vampire story engaging with an interesting mix of fantasy elements. The writing is excellent and easy to read, while the book maintains a swift pace and is a quick read. They appreciate the creative approach to the vampire genre, with one customer noting how the author created a new genre, and they like the concept of jewel tears.

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38 customers mention "Story quality"35 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's story engaging and original, with an interesting mix of fantasy elements.

"...and professional, but it's best quality is the creativity and originality of the plot. It's also a rather short read...." Read more

"This is a novelette and as such, quite a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the story, which offers an alternative view of the Vampire legends...." Read more

"...I liked the idea of the special, gifted Golden Vampires that can heal, shed tears of diamonds, and are gentler than the others...." Read more

"...I did find the changes to the vampire lore that King creates to be very interesting, however, it’s hard to follow as they seem to be some..." Read more

17 customers mention "Writing quality"17 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it excellent and easy to read, with one customer highlighting the great characterization and dialogues.

"...All writing aspect and style is well done and professional, but it's best quality is the creativity and originality of the plot...." Read more

"This is a novelette and as such, quite a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the story, which offers an alternative view of the Vampire legends...." Read more

"...It reads like an Elizabethan play in the beginning with great characterization and dialogues. It progresses into actions and violence...." Read more

"...Again, this author has writing chops, but I wanted to get back to Allaynie, to the vampires... when do they get a turn at bat?!..." Read more

12 customers mention "Creativity"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's creativity, noting its unique style and interesting approach to a popular theme, with one customer highlighting how the author created a new genre.

"...style is well done and professional, but it's best quality is the creativity and originality of the plot. It's also a rather short read...." Read more

"...There’s something graceful about Tamoiya and her unique race, something mesmerizing, and the author truly makes you feel that, and makes you want to..." Read more

"...Overall, King’s ideas are good, and I liked a few of the characters, but would have liked to have had a much stronger relationship with the narrator..." Read more

"...The author created a new genre. It reads like an Elizabethan play in the beginning with great characterization and dialogues...." Read more

7 customers mention "Pace"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the swift pace of the book, describing it as a quick read.

"This is a novelette and as such, quite a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the story, which offers an alternative view of the Vampire legends...." Read more

"...The pace, though, is swift, which makes the story an easy read...." Read more

"This is a fast and enjoyable read. Its genre hard to pinpoint...." Read more

"...prolong their suffering and, when the moment is right, enables Allaynie to run very fast...." Read more

4 customers mention "Shortness of story"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate that the book is short.

"...It's also a rather short read. I finished it in just a couple hours...." Read more

"...It’s a short book that I read in a couple of hours—hours that I consider well spent." Read more

"...A short book that does the job of setting the hook for a new series." Read more

"Short but so good...." Read more

3 customers mention "Book content"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's content, with one mentioning the interesting concept of jewel tears.

"...the idea of the special, gifted Golden Vampires that can heal, shed tears of diamonds, and are gentler than the others...." Read more

"...The jewel tears were an interesting concept. I was curious to see what becomes of Tomoiya...." Read more

"...The science fiction aspect and the jewel tears added a new twist. It was an enjoyable short read." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • R. Heebner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Lore and Fantasy meets Sci Fi in a unique and original tale!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is a wonderful beginning to what looks like an incredible and captivating upcoming series! A background story that sets the stage for a new kind of hero! Many very unique qualities about this book.

    First of all, though titled Tomoiya's Story, we're only introduced to Tomoiya in the first and last chapters. The rest follow the story of a young woman named Allaynie, a book being read by Tomoiya. It is a story within a story. Even more interesting is that the book being read, "Allaynie's Story," mostly follows the antagonist's point of view. You usually grow somewhat attached to whichever character the story follows, but the author does well in keeping the reader hoping against the antagonist, though we see things from his perspective most of the time.

    Secondly, it's an amazing twist in vampire lure. The story itself actually explains how the myths of vampires may have come to be if vampires were real, and possibly not the evil creatures legends usually tell of. This is very symbolic of the negative propaganda against specific races, religions and other social groups throughout our history, and I felt it was a great connection to the darker side of humanity which, as usual, is fueled by greed.

    Lastly, I love that the author incorporated both fantasy/mythology and science fiction. The story is an original vampire story, with ships and space travel as a factor as well.

    All writing aspect and style is well done and professional, but it's best quality is the creativity and originality of the plot. It's also a rather short read. I finished it in just a couple hours. I highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to see how the series evolves from this interesting back story!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Rea
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Origin of the Vampire - Intruiging
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is a novelette and as such, quite a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the story, which offers an alternative view of the Vampire legends. This story is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, with the idea that Vampires are fact aliens from another planet.
    This is much more Allaynie's story than Tomoiya's, with the story carrying on from the ending of Allaynie's story, in a book owed by Tomoiya.
    The idea of "Golden Vampires" who could cry tears of diamonds, I found intriguing and for that reason alone would consider reading the next book the series.
    My biggest concern with Tomoiya's story would be the number of times I experienced "suspension of belief" whilst reading it. Some things just seemed to happen way too easily and way to conveniently.
    That having been said, if you fancy a quick, fun, sci-fi/fantasy then this could well be the book for you.
    One person found this helpful
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  • SacredGeometryBlog
    5.0 out of 5 stars I liked the idea to have the main character read a ...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book was a very well thought out introduction to the book series. I liked the idea to have the main character read a story about someone who may have the same destiny as her in the future. It had an interesting approach to a popular theme, which I liked. In honesty, I’m a bit tired of all the vampire stories, but I always appreciate if the author chooses a unique approach, and this is certainly the case.

    Vampires as a race from out of space seem to somehow, strangely make sense to me. Although it’s a fantasy, I could believe it to be so, and that this is where all the vampire legends came from. I liked the idea of the special, gifted Golden Vampires that can heal, shed tears of diamonds, and are gentler than the others. That is the case of the main character who as I suppose will be the main lead in the following novels. The story also had a mythical feel to it and made me think of the old fairy tales of princesses shedding tears of pearls. There’s something graceful about Tamoiya and her unique race, something mesmerizing, and the author truly makes you feel that, and makes you want to learn more.

    I also enjoyed the philosophical question of the story, of who is really the beast – the human or the vampire? In this novel, the human clearly wins in this regard, particularly the awful Woden who you despise though he’s basically the main character in this story. It’s good to know that the future holds a story of someone else (Tamoiya?).
    I look forward to read on, and get to know more about the fantasy world that the author created. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a different approach to the subject of vampires, as this one is unique and refreshing.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Stephen Logsdon
    4.0 out of 5 stars Vampire lore with a sci-fi twist
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    To be blunt, I don’t normally read vampire stories, but this offered up a twist into a genre I do love, science fiction. With Escape To Darkness, we jump into a futuristic story within a story, of the past as it sets the ground work in this series, and it delivers us into the intrigue of a race of people that is faced with the conniving greed of one human business man. Woden, a human dealing in the shadier mercantile avenues within a universe, so vast its difficult to police, becomes the single catalyst that forces the segregation and persecution of an innocent and unknown species. That this species are blood sucking vampires, only exaggerates the lie he propagates, which plays nicely into Woden’s hands, that all starts with a chance meeting.

    To be honest, the story does take some time to begin, which is understandable, because some groundwork needs to be made, and I recommend patients, because once the action begins the story really starts to shine. Whether through hate, of the underhanded nature of Woden, the main character, or the painful predicament of Allaynie, a vampire princess, who makes Woden an easy buck, C.A. King does a superb job in making the reader care for the characters.

    I recommend this book highly for those who love both sci-fi and vampire.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • KS the Dreamer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Inspired
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Tomoiya 's whole universe had just expanded. No longer was the known bathed only by suns of orange and yellow light. Another side had been discovered, the dark to the light where the suns covered the land in shadow. What starts as a tale of Tomoiya becomes a focus for the book within her possession, the story of Allaynie. The books ends on the eve of her wedding, but that was not where her journey stopped, and the lesson needed had not been learnt. Travelling through the stars Tomoiya learns the truth behind the tale, and how close her own life intertwines with a figure she had once believed to be only fictional.

    C.A. King does what few authors have succeeded in doing. She has taken the stale and over-used vampire mythos and breathed fresh life into its decaying form. I thoroughly enjoyed reading, in fact I did so in a single sitting never once taking my eyes from the well-designed plot which alters the source of vampire legends in a way that could easily be so true to life, yet one I've never seen before. Just a single person can change everything, and in this tale they certainly do. This is one series I will certainly be investing my time in. It is a strong first book for what promises to be an interesting and imaginative series.
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  • A.R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars King's smooth writing blends the two genre beautifully. What more do you want
    Reviewed in Canada on February 26, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Scifi and paranormal in one story. Space travel, and Vampires. C.A. King's smooth writing blends the two genre beautifully. What more do you want?
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  • Norman Turrell
    4.0 out of 5 stars Original and entertaining
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A complete story from the author's richly imagined fantasy world. I was engaged by the well drawn characters and the plot that develops around them.

    I've been disappointed by the poor writing and stories that have arisen with the popularity of series such as Twilight, after growing up with the sinister and frightening version of vampires. This book is completely different to both; an original creation.

    It is well written and professional; I spotted one editing mistake - there may have been a few others but frankly I was too busy reading.

    A fair price for a short and entertaining read.
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  • joanne paulson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Evocative writing
    Reviewed in Canada on May 25, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This short vampire-sci-fi story is a quick read, which left me aching for a little more explanation and continuity. However, C.A. King has a beautiful, evocative way with words. “The fabric of his red velvet jacket wrinkled upwards, tugged by the motion of his outstretched arms.” Love it. It’s also a morality piece that asks questions about the rights of different peoples, what real evil looks like, mixed with space travel and vampires from other worlds. More appropriate to YA readers, perhaps, which I didn’t realize when I picked up the novella. Three stars for a plot that requires some filling in, at least for adult readers, but four stars for gorgeous writing and imagination.
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  • 1D82 Many
    5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    What a refreshing way to tell a vampire story.

    Completely enthralling plot that really needs the first couple of chapters to be read in one go. (I read the first chapter and then stupidly took a couple of days away from the book. When I came to read the next chapter, I didn't even think it was the same book so had to start again to really appreciate this story's multifaceted layers.) I particularly loved the Sci-fi element and all the scene setting. Really made the book come to life.

    It's a fairly quick and easy read once you get going and I enjoyed how much characterisation the author packed into such a short story. A really good skill that I am sure we will see throughout the coming series.
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