An Ancient Evil: The Year Reality Broke is the first book in a fantasy action series by Russell Cornhill. In this debut offering, the gods wanted to create a new world. The God of Everything, in particular, does not want to draw too much attention from the plan and prefers that the other gods worry about the details. He has his own agenda, as he not only wants a story but a history. But the God of Myth knows better. She is a student of the craft of storytelling and the characters that inhabit them. She does not want to flood this new world with mere stereotypes and, perhaps, she might insert one or two things that are new. In this cosmic plan to draft a new world, Lukas Matthewson, a farmboy with dragon blood is the destined hero. He needs to assemble a group of warriors while the shadows lurk and are biding their time.

An Ancient Evil is the start of an epic tale about courage, friendship, and heroism. Russell Cornhill’s descriptive narrative solidly depicts a living fantasy world that serves as a board game for the gods. As the first book in a series, the alliance that Lukas forges with his band of warriors from different races may well remain with them for the rest of their lives. With the gods having a hand in the fate of mankind, Cornhill has strong ideas about the importance of myths and attention to what makes characters believable even if they possess supernatural attributes, as in the case of his gods. If you do not get why some readers delve into fantasy, give this book a try, and it might well become your cornerstone for appreciating the genre.

Russell Cornhill presents An Ancient Evil: The Year Reality Broke, a story about gods, dangerous quests, and fighting evil that ingeniously combines elements of computer gaming, satire, and fantasy. Dane Stronginthearm is the avatar and AI created by the gods to defeat the Ultimate Evil and save the world. The other hero is Lukas Matthewson, a farm boy with some God-given abilities, who is on a mission to find his family while facing the monsters that plan to stop him from defeating the evil threatening humanity. To achieve their missions, the human boy and the avatar must work together with an elf, half-elf, gnome, dwarf, and half-orc. As the heroes are given special abilities and weapons, they might just have a fighting chance to defeat the ancient, powerful evil.

An Ancient Evil has a very hilarious satirical tone that will have you rolling on the floor laughing. The gods have the funniest names, of which "the God of Making People Run Around and Look Stupid" and "the God of Unreal People" are just a few. With terms like "upgrade" and "hit points," the plot felt just like playing a game, which adds a fresh atmosphere to the fantasy genre. I only wished it was more engaging; something like a romantic relationship or a close friendship between the main characters would have added to its appeal. However, I enjoyed the jovial atmosphere and would love to return to it for some good, uproarious laughter. Russell Cornhill has a great sense of humor!

An Ancient Evil: The Year Reality Broke - Book 1 is a satirical action-adventure fantasy novel by author Russell Cornhill. The Gods of the Pantheon disagree on the creation of the worlds. The God of Myth wants the characters and settings to be realistic, while the God of Everything has plans of his own. The Destined Hero, Lukas Matthewson, embarks on a journey to defeat the Ultimate Evil and save mankind as foretold by prophecy. Helping him on his quest are his companions -- The barbarian Throm Peterson, Calem Rorke, a half-elf, Yawdri the huntress, and the wizard Gwindos. Meanwhile, the Avatar Dane Stronginthearm has undertaken a similar quest alongside the half-orc Dork and the overly cheerful half-elf Halli. But his companions may not be as skillful as they appeared on the posters.

An Ancient Evil: The Year Reality Broke - Book 1 is like a wild ride in a jungle safari where you're never sure where you're going to end up. Russell Cornhill's novel parodies anything and everything in the fantasy genre and turns the tropes upside down. The plot moves at a brisk pace, and I had an absolute blast reading this book. I found the characters to be distinct and colorful and at times hilarious. My favorite storyline was the Avatar one. I found Cornhill's humor spot on, and Dane's bewilderment at the incompetence of his friends was ridiculously funny to me. I will highly recommend the book to readers who enjoy fantasy fiction with a satirical edge.

An Ancient Evil is the first book in The Year Reality Broke series by Russell Cornhill. The God of Everything wants to make a new world and the God of Myth is delighted with the decision. So they do what they want. One of our heroes is Lukas, a young man who wants to be a farmer like his father. He lives in a world where ogres, dwarfs, and other creatures freely roam - a person has to be very careful what they wish for. On the other hand, we have Dane who is about to become an avatar. He wants to become the strongest and best avatar he can be. While Dane and Lukas are very different, their destinies are intertwined. Lukas has a destiny to fulfill and Dane has a job to do. They have no idea that they are about to embark on a journey where they will face evil in its purest form, and they will have no one to rely on but themselves. As the gods sit back and watch, Lukas and Dane have to fight till death to serve their purpose.

Fast-paced and well-developed, An Ancient Evil is perhaps one of the best novels I have read so far this year. Russell Cornhill's descriptions are out of this world. The imagery is so real that I can almost imagine myself beside Lukas and Dane. Dane is obsessed with perfection, while Lukas is barely holding on to reality. They both have their challenges, and the author provides them enough page space to tackle their challenges head-on. I liked Dane's character more, to be honest. He is smart, determined to do better, and looks for every opportunity to do so. The pace is just right for the story, the narrative runs smoothly until the end, and the characters are developed to perfection. I cannot wait for the next novel in the series.