By: Michael Gisman
Synopsis
Magic, Armies, and Myth collide. A brother and sister must journey to find their destiny.
Something hidden, buried in the shadows of myths and legends…it waits, and its purpose is unclear.
Kalend, raised in a militaristic monastery, chased from the only home he has ever known by warlocks and creatures straight out of those myths.
Hollilea, raised in the mountains by witches to learn magic, a rare art. She must realize her full powers while hunted by monsters from legend.
Myths and legends have seeped into their world, some seeking help, other have come for more sinister designs.
Only together can they face their true calling. Only together can they face the dark forces threatening them and their world.
My Thoughts
I met this author at ComiCon in Greenville, SC. He was very nice to chat with and autographed his book for me when I bought it. I always want to be kind and not discourage any author from doing what they love, but I also have to be honest. So, I will share what I liked about the novel, and hope that any criticisms are taken in the helpful spirit they are intended.
This was a decent first novel. I think the author definitely has potential. He has a wonderful ability to write beautifully descriptive passages that let you really see the setting. I liked most of the main characters, but wish they could have been a little more fully developed. Kalend and Hollilea seemed to mature into their abilities a little too quickly. The action was a little disjointed as the protagonists seemed to fall into one problem after another without any real explanation as to how their hunters continued to find them. I think this aspect would have benefitted from a little more fleshing out. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, but I think more actual dialog, instead of just descriptions of conversations, would help the reader feel more like a part of the story and would have offered useful insights into the characters. I also thought that versions of the phrase “and they/he thought/talked about all that had occurred” was used way too often. As a reader, I would have liked to have known the characters’ specific thoughts or conversations in some of these situations as that would have been a great way to show character development. I enjoyed the plot of the story, and didn’t mind the cliffhanger at the end since I already knew there would be a second novel. I am hoping that in the second book there will be an explanation of why Kalend and Hollilea are the chosen ones, and more background is given for all the characters. I do plan on reading the rest of this series and look forward to watching the author’s writing progress.