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Rast
Imagine the worst possible time, the interregnum while rebelling magic forces slowly kill the reigning Drogar. Prince Egon has to take up the succession as the new sorcerer-king of Rast, and admit the deadly magic into himself in a manner he can control.
Yet Offrangs arrive on the coast, imperialists whose power comes from steam and iron, and who disbelieve in magic. Commander Antar seeks to conquer Rast. Egon has no time for caution, he must act at once.
He also has to help Jady, Guardian of the Silent Forest, escape from the evil Deepning Pools whose resurgence she has thwarted. Even more troubling, he must send his sweetheart away, for she is not from the magic lineage who can bear him an heir. She goes to meet the Princess destined to supplant her, with anger in her heart.
The oracle given by the Pythian, living beneath the Palace of Rast, predicts the crisis can only be resolved by everyone’s efforts – even the actions of enemies – until the Prince is established securely and able to turn the magic’s fury upon itself.
Conflict between materialists and a magic based society; between love and ambition; between magic forces residing within the world itself and the one man destined to control them. Rast leads fantasy into new dimensions.
Yet Offrangs arrive on the coast, imperialists whose power comes from steam and iron, and who disbelieve in magic. Commander Antar seeks to conquer Rast. Egon has no time for caution, he must act at once.
He also has to help Jady, Guardian of the Silent Forest, escape from the evil Deepning Pools whose resurgence she has thwarted. Even more troubling, he must send his sweetheart away, for she is not from the magic lineage who can bear him an heir. She goes to meet the Princess destined to supplant her, with anger in her heart.
The oracle given by the Pythian, living beneath the Palace of Rast, predicts the crisis can only be resolved by everyone’s efforts – even the actions of enemies – until the Prince is established securely and able to turn the magic’s fury upon itself.
Conflict between materialists and a magic based society; between love and ambition; between magic forces residing within the world itself and the one man destined to control them. Rast leads fantasy into new dimensions.
First published March 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 23, 2011
It is a dangerous time in the world of Rast. Rebelling magic forces are slowly killing the reigning Drogar. His son, Prince Egon, is set to take over as the new sorcerer-king, admitting the deadly magic to himself in such a way as to control it.
Jady, Guardian of the Silent Forest, is the last of her line. Her father and brothers have already been killed by the Deepning Pools. Though in love with Egon, she is sent away on his orders. No matter their feelings, she cannot bear him an heir that will become the next Drogar. Ignoring his orders, an angry Jady goes off to meet the Princess, whose marriage to Prince Egon has been arranged.
As if this trying time of the interregnum isn't enough, Offrangs arrive seeking to conquer Rast. Conflict is inevitable. But who will win?
Part of my issue with fantasy novels is I rarely see one that is less than the size of my Bible. Because you are dealing with made up worlds and beings, this requires the author to be especially clear when describing the setting and the book's characters. I have to hand it to Hoare because he managed to do that in only 269 pages. Not once did I feel lost or unable to figure out the setting or the characters; though a Rast Guidebook is available for free with each download of the e-Book.
An interesting aspect of this novel is that the magic is like a character in and of itself. I've seen this done with an island in Evenings on Dark Island by Rhett DeVane and Larry Rock. It's quite fascinating when an object, or in this case, a supernatural power is so much a part of the story that it takes on character-like qualities.
Rast contains many characters that will elicit emotions in the reader. She will feel sorry for Egon and Jady who are forced to deny their love because of their duties. She will be inspired by the devotion the dying Drogar has to his son and the kingdom of Rast. It's quite likely she will feel the need to throttle the Princess multiple times during the story.
A masterfully told high fantasy novel that will wow you with its explosive conclusion is what you'll find in Rast by Christopher Hoare.
Jady, Guardian of the Silent Forest, is the last of her line. Her father and brothers have already been killed by the Deepning Pools. Though in love with Egon, she is sent away on his orders. No matter their feelings, she cannot bear him an heir that will become the next Drogar. Ignoring his orders, an angry Jady goes off to meet the Princess, whose marriage to Prince Egon has been arranged.
As if this trying time of the interregnum isn't enough, Offrangs arrive seeking to conquer Rast. Conflict is inevitable. But who will win?
Part of my issue with fantasy novels is I rarely see one that is less than the size of my Bible. Because you are dealing with made up worlds and beings, this requires the author to be especially clear when describing the setting and the book's characters. I have to hand it to Hoare because he managed to do that in only 269 pages. Not once did I feel lost or unable to figure out the setting or the characters; though a Rast Guidebook is available for free with each download of the e-Book.
An interesting aspect of this novel is that the magic is like a character in and of itself. I've seen this done with an island in Evenings on Dark Island by Rhett DeVane and Larry Rock. It's quite fascinating when an object, or in this case, a supernatural power is so much a part of the story that it takes on character-like qualities.
Rast contains many characters that will elicit emotions in the reader. She will feel sorry for Egon and Jady who are forced to deny their love because of their duties. She will be inspired by the devotion the dying Drogar has to his son and the kingdom of Rast. It's quite likely she will feel the need to throttle the Princess multiple times during the story.
A masterfully told high fantasy novel that will wow you with its explosive conclusion is what you'll find in Rast by Christopher Hoare.
May 3, 2011
My review from Amazon:
High Fantasy with a Steampunk Edge
Here's a king who rules with magic until it slowly breaks him down and kills him. Egon, his son, has to take the mantel of magic he doesn't understand yet. And he must banish Jady, the only woman he's ever loved.
Mix in a jealous princess in an arranged engagement, a technophile outsider whose steam-driven iron machines embolden him in his "manifest destiny," a magical self-aware pool with bad intent, and a fanatical horde marching to the orders of a cryptic ancient document, you get, well, Rast.
I have a couple of nits to pick. There are a few too many sentence fragments and exclamation marks for me, and a couple of character elements bear names similar to those in other works, just enough to make me notice.
On the whole, though, I really liked it. The characterization was good, with well-rounded characters I got to know. The heroes had flaws and self-doubt, but did their jobs anyway. I thought the world building well done. Little details, like spells having physical characteristics made it a little richer.
Christopher Hoare knows how to knit together a story with multiple viewpoints and tie it up in an ending I didn't see coming.
High Fantasy with a Steampunk Edge
Here's a king who rules with magic until it slowly breaks him down and kills him. Egon, his son, has to take the mantel of magic he doesn't understand yet. And he must banish Jady, the only woman he's ever loved.
Mix in a jealous princess in an arranged engagement, a technophile outsider whose steam-driven iron machines embolden him in his "manifest destiny," a magical self-aware pool with bad intent, and a fanatical horde marching to the orders of a cryptic ancient document, you get, well, Rast.
I have a couple of nits to pick. There are a few too many sentence fragments and exclamation marks for me, and a couple of character elements bear names similar to those in other works, just enough to make me notice.
On the whole, though, I really liked it. The characterization was good, with well-rounded characters I got to know. The heroes had flaws and self-doubt, but did their jobs anyway. I thought the world building well done. Little details, like spells having physical characteristics made it a little richer.
Christopher Hoare knows how to knit together a story with multiple viewpoints and tie it up in an ending I didn't see coming.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews