Filled to the brim with forbidden love, an ancient evil, and a nation in disrepair, Empyreal Fate is a tale of riveting bravery and mortal corruption.
The land of Llathala lingers on the brink of war between men and elves, a dark history surrounding each race. Stirred by tensions of the land, a shadow of the past reemerges, taking precedence in reality and consuming the very soul of mans’ mortal weakness. Darrion, the son of a poor laborer, is ensnared in a hostile world, forced to choose between loyalty to his king or the counsel of the elves. Yet Fate has other plans in store, tying his course to Amarya, an elven royalblood of mysterious quality and unsurpassable beauty. But this forbidden connection incites betrayal from members of their own kin, marking them as traitors to the crown. In a land torn asunder, only Fate’s decree can allow such love to coexist with an ancient enmity.
Born in 1993, Rachel Hunter has always been fascinated with words and the intricate way in which they combine. Since a child, she has been an avid writer, winding vibrant tales and elaborate stanzas on folded bits of paper.
As the years passed, her love of words never died; her adoration for reading fared no equal. Always with her nose in a book, Rachel took fondly to works spanning all genres. Yet it was the compelling grasp of fantasy and science fiction that wrenched her fascination above all.
In 2007, Rachel was selected a state winner of the Minnesota Promising Young Writers Program. Accordingly, her winning poem, “It All Starts with Creativity”, was published in An Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans.
Senior year of high school proved another momentous year. A winner of the Oklahoma Young Writers Competition, Rachel was awarded with publication of her “Sestina of Elven Regret” in the 2010-2011 anthology, Growing Voices.
In March of 2012, Rachel published her first short story with Trestle Press, titled, “Perfect Nothing“, which recounted her harrowing relationship with an eating disorder and was also fueled by her passion for psychology. But her writing does not end there. While currently pursuing a degree in psychology and in the medical field at the University of Oklahoma, she aspires also to illuminate the creative spark of eager readers. In her desire to incite intrigue, she is simultaneously exploring new worlds and creating vast empires of her own. "Empyreal Fate" is only the first in her Llathalan Annal series. Indeed, it is only the beginning.
I love to read new authors and am frequently surprised how good they write. This is another author that has an original story, twists and turns and kept my attention from page one to the end. The characters are so well written and jump off the pages as I stepped inside their world and followed them through their story. I would recommend this book to anyone- fantasy or other genres. It has something for everyone and is a real page turner. I am looking forward to the next book in the series! Very nice!
Empyreal Fate is a story of the land of Llathala. Llathala is a land occupied by elf and human and they have a tenuous peace treaty which is slowly unraveling. War seem eminent, corruption from within both sides wish to rend this land apart for personal gain. Darrion, human son to a farmer’s family runs across Amarya, elf princess, in the woods while hunting for food. Can Darrion and Amarya overcome the forbidden friendship, feeling of love, an evil possession and ultimately fight to save their people from the corruption that lies within.
Empyreal Fate truly is a wonderful story telling of a land created by Rachel Hunter’s fantastic imagination. She utterly enwraps you into a totally new world that elves, fairies and humans live and fight for survival. I love the way she uses language to make you feel that you are in another time, era, or in this case world. Empyreal Fate had me from the Prologue till the end. Looking forward to reading more about this exciting new land Rachel Hunter has created.
This copy of Empyreal Fate was given to me by Rachel Hunter in exchange for an honest review.
The beauty and grandeur of times now lost to us are rediscovered in Empyreal Fate, the first of what I hope is many in this fantasy saga. Empyreal Fate is a story of young love but more importantly, it is a story of sweeping passions. Hatred, revenge, and what it means to fight for the things that you treasure are among the themes explored in this tale.
Though the main characters are compelling, I found myself sympathizing with a few of the minor characters deeply as well because of the subtleties that they display throughout the course of events. Of them all, I admit to a special fondness for Drevan. While I can't say too much for fear of revealing plot details, I grew to understand his actions even while I didn't always agree with them. The character motivations fascinated me throughout Fate and I look forward to watching how they continue to change and intertwine as the saga continues.
Another aspect of the novel that I particularly enjoyed was the language that Hunter employs throughout. She casts a magical spell, evoking the sense of her world without making it distant. She is clearly kin to Tolkien with the way that she employs thoughtful and creative use of language, magic, and detail.
A beautiful look into another universe... I recommend you take a peek for yourself!
With Empyreal Fate, Rachel Hunter has proven, at an incredibly young age, that she is a fantasy writer to keep an eye on. I'm not saying that this is a good book for an author who is so young; I'm saying that Rachel Hunter is well beyond her years in her ability to craft an amazing story that is beautifully written and stands with some of the best fantasy works out there.
The story follows Darrion and his brother Drevan in a world in which the races of humans and elves have been kept separate for years, each side forbidden to make contact with the other(the history is well explained in the prologue). Due to the tyrannical leadership Rhothdyn, the human king, Darrion finds himself treading the border of the elven kingdom to help his family. He meets an elf named Amarya, daughter of the elven king, creating what could become a catalyst for a war between the races. From here, the story takes flight with romance, betrayal, sinister presences form the past and more.
The author's words are brilliantly woven in this introduction to an epic series. Her characters are strong and varied, each with their own personalities and motivations. Her heroes are genuinely likable without being perfect, her villains deviously crafted to give you further reason to cheer for those that oppose them.
The story has a little of everything: action, adventure, romance, mystery, and has some genuinely heart-warming moments as well as some genuinely gut-wrenching moments. You truly feel what the characters are going through. There is a definite Tolkienesque feel to the book, the story markedly influenced by his works, though with a fresh voice. This does not feel derivative by any means.
I have two small issues. First, there is a bit of a barrier to entry to Empyreal Fate. The language, though nicely crafted, is of the "grab your thesaurus" variety, which, when added to the info-dump nature of the prologue, may make getting into this book a bit intimidating for some readers. To those readers, I say, do yourself a favor and keep going. You won't be disappointed. The second is probably more of a warning than a complaint. In the ebook version, the last 25% of the book is previews of other books from this publisher. Though Empyreal Fate is fairly lengthy, I was a bit disappointed when I reached an absolutely amazing part of the story at 75% and turned the page to see it was over. However, the ending is a perfect draw for the next book.
Well done, Ms. Hunter. This is an amazing first novel as well as an amazing introduction to your series and I look forward to your future works.
I am glad that I got the chance to read Empyreal Fate and was surprised that the young writer delivered such an engaging tale of forbidden love set in a politically volatile world. While the ideas presented in the book are simple, Hunter’s writing style gives it a wonderful complexity. She examines the motivations of each of her characters very well and introduces us to an interesting world that I want to know more about.
One of the best aspects of the book is the separation the author achieves between her human and elvish cultures. Too often in Fantasy elves are prettier, smarter versions of humans who are driven only by a relentless need to co-exit with nature. Rachel Hunter creates her elves as ethereal creatures that have little in common with humans but avoids alienating the reader by alternating Darrion’s point of view with Amarya’s throughout. Both Darrion and Amarya are likeable characters in complex situations that the reader easily empathises with.
My complaints about Empyreal Fate are few but important, I feel, because they directly affected my enjoyment of the book. First of all, the book is written in an archaic style using Old English syntax. Although this lends a mystical quality to the story and helps to ground the story in another world, I found myself unable to let go and enjoy the story because I was constantly forced to translate odd turns of phrases. Secondly, something happens to Amarya in the book, something really bad, but the event seems to serve no purpose, and she suffers minimal trauma afterwards. I don’t think that the event should have been included at all because it wasn’t handled very well in my opinion.
Overall, Empyreal Fate is a great achievement by the author and I recommend it to people who would like reading New Adult Fantasy set in a cool new world. I will be keeping my eye out for the sequel!
Llathala is a land full of mythical beings we know only in tales, separated by woods lives the elves and the humans who are on the verge of war. One day Darrion, the son of a poor laborer is foraging in the woods for food when he stumbles upon Amarya, one of the elven royals, forever changing his life. In the midst of the turmoil will Darrion and Amarya find a way to be together or will they be ripped apart because of where they come from?
First off I have to discuss the obvious, the writing style is not typical it has a more old-English feel to it as you go, at first it seemed a bit pretentious to me but I kept on and as I did I came to realize that if the author had written this story any other way it would not have done as well as it did in the style she uses. Now that being said this is an interesting story all on its own, with hints of Romeo and Juliet as the star crossed lovers want desperately to be together but they know they cannot, but to pull this off the author had to write a convincing romance where you feel for each faction as well as the lovers and I am happy to say that Rachel Hunter did a wonderful job. I look forward to seeing what the author does with the rest of Llathalan I can see a lot of potential writing material in the future, this is definitely worth the read.
Why are you wasting time reading this review? Pick the book up, start reading, and don't stop until you reach the end. This is the first book in a series and you are already behind the rest of us.
What? You need more?
Fine....
It is a book of Fantasy. What does that mean? Well, if you think it’s a happy little fairytale, then you're dead wrong. This is an imperfect world and heroes do not always win. Corruption and hate has wormed its way through the lives of men and elves alike. Brother will be turned against brother. Those who should be the best of us shall cast aside all honors to get what they want. In the end, star-crossed love shall be torn asunder, but hope will endure, for the fate of the world is still in play.
So give this book a chance, and don’t stop reading.
This was a great read from start to finish. I loved the slightly archaic feel to the language. The characterization was rich and deep and drew me in. I had a hard time putting it down once I started. Rachel Hunter has done a great job bringing us into the world she has created where the elves and humans are poised on the brink of war.
Many of the things I would expect to find in a good fantasy novel were here, along with a few things I had not expected, that added to the richness of the characters and the world. I'm eager to read the next installment from this promising young author.
I’ve been meaning to read this book for about a year and when the opportunity came to download it for free came up, I couldn’t resist! Empyreal Fate is far from an easy read. Written in a complex style, it utilizes archaic language and metaphors which give it great beauty, but can be a little difficult to keep up with at times. It has romance, it has ancient evil, it has vengeful scorned suitor, it has magic, and all the ingredients of a wonderful legend. I think it’s all original, but it feels like a story written a century ago, which I find incredible. There is one scene in particular that deals with rape, which I more or less skipped, but from what I saw it seemed graphic to me. For that reason, I do not classify it as YA or recommend it to YA readers.
The plot: This book is clearly meant to be the opening to a larger series. The plot takes you on a twisting, winding path, following the stories of multiple characters and switching POV quite frequently. While I could get frustrated with the swapping perspectives, I have immense respect for the time, effort, and deep philosophy that went into this story. Rachel Hunter is definitely an old soul and her story shocked me with its magnificent and epic style. I think this is a very special story that needs a special audience to appreciate it. I think the story runs around 250 pages, but it reads like a novel at least twice that length, there is so much packed into the pages.
The characters: The characters were fascinating and mostly individualistic. Their attributes tended to be extreme as is the way of characters in epic fantasy, but I did care about and loathe all the right ones. Their relationships were complex and simple at the same time, their dialogue was a bit archaic, but that fit in with the rest of the story. Though there are many characters whose perspectives we get to see, the main focal points are Amarya, the elf princess, and Darrion, the son of a humble farmer with a fierce protectiveness over his little sister and a warmongering brother. Their romance was breathtaking and tragic at once, as is the nature of these stories. I really, really hope their current situation changes in the future books, because I’m a huge sucker for HEA and I know that sometimes it’s about the story, but…well, like I said, I’m a sucker for HEA. I got kind of mad at everybody, including Amarya, for keeping Amarya and Darrion apart. Her sense of duty to her people was admirable, but could come across as a “holier-than-thou” attitude at times. There was one character, Laervyen, who is an elf lord seeking to win over Amarya and I think I hated him most of all. I just wanted somebody to shoot him or knife him, just throttle him, and get it over with. He was one of the top three evil characters in this book and…yes, I’ve been reading too many stories about assassins lately and I’m kind of mean, but…if you read the book, I dare you not to want him dead, too!
Empyreal Fate is not a fluffy beach read nor a cozy cup-of-tea kind of book. It is deep, it is profound, but it is definitely worth looking into. I recommend it to fans of epic fantasy and readers who appreciate books with higher complexity levels.
It is said that that a picture is worth a thousand words. In Empyreal Fate, Rachel Hunter conjures up dramatic, vibrant images in your mind’s eye with far fewer words, images that will leave you breathless, angry, amused, rejoicing, tickled, and tearful. I found myself both transfixed and transformed by the story, as if I were actually living the tale, even when I paused from my reading.
Her style has been likened to that of Tolkien, and I cannot disagree, but it is a style and a chronicle all its own. Another comparison comes to mind, however. Before personal computers, before complex graphics, there existed a computer game known simply as “Cave,” sometimes called “Adventure” or “The Colossal Cave Adventure Game.” In this game, the player entered commands by typing only a few short words, and the computer then responded only with text. This required the player to have a vivid imagination, yes, but the game both fed the imagination and drew imagination out of the player; thus it pulled the player deeper and deeper into the game. After a time, the world of the game and the world of the player seemed to meld into one, and the distinction became insignificant. This is what I experienced. I stayed late at work for hours playing the game, but at home, everything I did was still “the game.” This was decades ago, and that sensation has long since been lost to me—lost until, that is, I read Empyreal Fate. Once again, the possibility of transitioning into another, magical realm has returned, enabling escape from this mundane world we mortals share.
Ms. Hunter has an unbelievable command of the English language for one so young, and if your vocabulary is not tested by her book, then by the Fates you are reading too fast. The story never relents, it spares you no mercy; it seizes your psyche and holds you firm until it has its way with you, and then it leaves you, a quivering mass upon the floor, begging for more. I scarcely can breathe in anticipation of the second volume, so I implore the author and publisher to make haste in its release before I require the attention of an herbalist.
Ms. Hunter has a long, illustrious career as a writer ahead of her, of that I am quite certain. One of such amazing talent and skill will not be made to wait long before being “discovered.” She is definitely one to watch!
Please, someone—start the screenplay. This has got to be made into a movie.
A beautifully written story, intriguing and mysterious, I absolutely loved the story.
The story of an Elf destined to bring peace to her people and a boy who’s only desire is to keep his family fed and protected. The two meet and it puts everything into motion.
The characters of this story really drew me in. Amayra is a beautiful elf who is of royal blood. Although the book never states an age I assume she in a young adult or on the brink of adulthood. She is close to her father and he has taught her kind ways. I love the relationship between Amayra and her father.
Darrion is a man of action. He is loyal to his family over his King and will do what is needed to keep his family from starving. There were times I was so mad at Darrion, he is smart but at times so dumb. He cannot see evil when evil is right in front of him.
The villains of the story was so easy to hate. From the beginning I was able to see who the evil would come from but the amount of evil they had was unbelievable. The actions they take, the depths they go to, it sickened me.
I felt a real connection to both of the main characters and felt a strong need to love or hate all the characters. I think the connections really kept the story moving for me. I really wanted to know more of their story and where it was taking me. With every joy and every suffering I felt it inside. There were moments I felt love and joy, then pure hatred, then real despair. It was definite emotional roller coaster ride for me.
The story was well paced for me. The beginning was a little slow. I think that it was solely due to the writing style. It’s not one I am used to and took me a bit to get into the flow. Once I did. The story took off and I wasn’t able to put the book down. The writing style is different but it is beautiful and the world that is created was like a dream for me. Rachel Hunter did an exceptional job in creating this world and in a way that painted the pictures so clearly in my mind.
Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to see more. Even though it took just a bit to get into my reading mojo with the style, I am very happy I invested myself in this story. It was spectacular.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I understand my opinion will be respected by the tour organiser/hosts and the author. The book is the story of Llathala a land where humans and elves stand divided. The humans kingdom is Erandor, ruled by King Rhothdyn and the Lady Saydra. King Rhothdyn rules with cruelty and causes fear of the unknown in his people. He fears that the people will rise against him because he has not created a heir, but their fear of the elves keeps them at bay. The elf kingdom of Androth is ruled by Sethran who's wife passed with the birth of his daughter and heir Amarya. He's unlike King Rhothdyn, he rules with compassion and hopes for peace between the two kingdoms.
The book focus's around the lives of Amarya and Darrion two people from different worlds who's fate is crossed. They instantly form a connection on a chance meeting each attracted to the other. Amarya has a suitor Laervyen who follows her everywhere and catches her conversations with Darrion. He also catches another mortal human in the forest and shoots him with a arrow at the time unknown that it was Darrion's older brother he had shot. Darrion returns to Erandor to learn that his brother is missing, he later finds him in the forest dying.
Darrion begs Amarya to save his brother but she' can't leave Adroth, but instead asks the fairy Nisse if she would journey into the kingdom of man and heal him. Which she agree's to do, and the pair set off for Darrions home. Only when Nisse has a chance to touch Darrion's brothers head does she see the true darkness that hovers inside. Against better judgement Nisse heals Drevan from the poison of the arrow.
I found the story entertaining, it keep me drawn in, and I couldn't put it down I had to know more about Amarya and Darrion. I find the characters are well developed you have enough to love them or hate them. It's a unique story to me because you start to connect with all the character, The creation of the world of Llathala is unlike anything I've read before, it's unique and fascinating. I'm curious to see how the next book will play out.
'Empyreal Fate' is the first book in the series of 'A Llathalan Annal' and envisages an epic story. Book fares as an introduction and the real story has just begun towards the end. Smooth and elegant!, that will be the description I prefer though mixed feelings rise within. Language could pose a threat to some, but if you are acquainted with the style of Walter Scott novels, no need to perspire. Words are well-chosen and charming; Rachel has successfully created a medieval atmosphere. There is something missing though -- the humour element, the essence which I think make the readers take any work to their hearts. Isn't that the reason we love Dumbledore or Gandalf or Rhett Butler? The characters, Pinoque and Sethran, could have served this purpose. The first one, the companion figure, is apt to take the place of a Fool but is not given much role. As for Sethran, usually the communication between a father and daughter is full of repartee (even in real life) but alas! here it is not so. The rape scene came as a shock as it was totally unexpected in a fairytale kind of novel. Yet much discomfiture is aroused from the way its effects are described as if the lady's body is scarred beyond repair. Isn't that a pre-modern notion? Is it not the man who has lost his real innocence? Freiysuira who in the story stands for God or Fate, asking the Princess to surrender to be seduced, is incredulous too. Her words reeks of masochism. Ending is also vague. If it was a series published for a magazine, then stopping at the middle of the action would have been perfect. Here the hero has not yet realised his mission, no evil is vanquished and I felt like the character of an Italo Calvino novel -- betrayed. Still I like the book, otherwise why did I spend an evening imagining the possible outcomes?
To fully appreciate such a novel, one must be well familiar in the cadence of EPIC style of writing: for it will indeed take a full page to fully acquaint a singular action. I once attempted to read an Epic style novel and I didn’t even get past the fifth page. Needless to say, I saw this novel as a challenge. At first things weren’t looking so well. Twenty pages felt like 2000 and I’d admit I have a short attention span. After forcing myself to focus I was able to appreciate the eerie band of characters even the villains. The different point of views allowed you a full spectral of everything as it happened, while still shrouding the reader in the dark. The author only revealed enough to allow you to see the present without anticipating the future. I was shocked with every new revaluation.
This is one of those novels about destinies, magic, prophesies, betrayal, forbidden love, feuding siblings, and mystery. This volume of the series dwells into the introduction to Elvin society. We get a sneak peek at the royals by way of the princess. We see a Robin Hood style dystopian society doomed to reach its boiling point. We get to see the infatuation between a human peasant and an Elf royal. It’s like Romeo and Juliet meets Lord of the Rings.
Similar to the pea plant project from grade school, it didn’t sprout overnight, and so for the most miraculous of miracles, it takes time. I may not be completely won over to epic style of writing yet I will see this tale until its end. I look forward to further exploring the great divide of the brothers and the warring that will surly ensue in the next novel.
3.5 hearts **This book was provided in exchange for an honest review.**
Empyreal Fate is a magical tale woven by Rachel Hunter, a teenager whose imagination knows no bounds. (Published teenager? Color me impressed!) She far surpasses others of her age by producing this beautiful and lyrical read, and this fantastical story grabbed my attention immediately and continued to hold it until the very last page.
Please pardon the following (and brief) fangirl moments! Moment #1: YAY for YA Epic Fantasy reads! There are not nearly enough out there, in my opinion. Moment #2: YAY for elves! I am ashamed hesitate to admit that whenever there is an elf in a book, they always look like Legolas in my head, regardless of character description. Seeing as to how Empyreal Fate is partially about elves, I kind of conjured up a world of Legolases! (I would totally live there!) Also, elves are also somewhat scarce in current YA literature, so that was just another thing I ended up appreciated about this book.
*ahem* Back to the topic at hand. There are so many things happening in this book, and I was very impressed by the tone and pacing of the story. The point of view changes multiple times, but each character’s voice is distinct. I felt like I got to understand all the characters, even the ones in the background. The world building was also fantastic, and I was thoroughly captivated by this elven/human land (Legolas land! :D) Packed full of political corruption and turmoil, epic battle scenes, a whirlwind romance, and elves, Empyreal Fate is a book you shouldn’t miss out on! I cannot wait to see what Ms. Hunter will have for us next!
Step into the age of Empyreal Fate where heart's desire and man's desire clash in epic proportions. It truly is a world of forbidden, yet necessary, love for without it the world cannot be whole. Both kingdoms, man and elf, have become rotten from the inside out. Each side feels this, knows this, but no one will admit to its existence. In an effort to find a mutual connection, Darrion and Amarya start down a path which can only end one way.
The book is very intriguing, drawing one into a story that is very much alive. It is told from several character point of views, giving further insight into the distinctive world as each sees it. Once it begins, it does not let up, but carries the reader though until the last words on the last page, and then leaves you desiring to know more. It is nice to know the author intends to continue the series, and I very much look forward to the next installment. If you like reading about new worlds, this is definitely a keeper!
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
In Empyreal Fate, Rachel Hunter has created an entire fantasy world that simply teems with memorable characters, rich dialogue, and a plot with intriguing twists. The main human characters are brothers, who end up at odds with one another, but the role of their young sister remains a mystery; the elves battle palace intrigue, and unwanted marriage proposals. Intertwined in all of this is the relationship between one of the humans, Darrion, and Amarya, the daughter of the Elf King.
Empyreal Fate is filled with wonder, magic, and the external and internal conflicts that make for a satisfying read. As this is the first book of the series, I can hardly wait until the next installment arrives!
This book barely gets a four. It needs attention from a good editor for it to get a higher score.
The story is solid and the characters are mostly believable, but the verbiage is often necessarily and inappropriately “high-falutin” for its intended readership.
The map at the beginning of the book should be at the end. It is not needed in this volume at all. Merely the fact that the enmity between Erandor and Androth is based on their proximity is sufficient to convey the intent of the plot development. The proffered complexity is obfuscating more than clarifying.
The prologue should be reduced to a quarter of its current massive coefficient. The typical reader will not assimilate the capacious detail provided in the nine page data dump. The preponderance of the background evidence should be presented as required to further the explication of the activities of the protagonists. For example, the information about the various racial groups and their assorted dis-harmonies should be left for the scene in which the protagonists meet them. Only the circumstances of Amarya's birth and the legend of the sword should be incorporated into this introduction to the narration.
My most serious problem with the book is its vocabulary. The paragraphs above are intended to provide a feeling of the jarring impact of this misuse of vocabulary. If the book had been written as a vocabulary exercise, then it achieved its goal, but I suspect it has a less lofty purpose. Witness this quote from the prologue:
“Llathala’s annal, do you mean?” Sethran stroked her palm with a gentle thumb. “Why a tome so dark, my love? Certainly there is no need for foul recollections when new life is to be borne?”
“Nay, dear one.” Nardrissa strained. Her words were slow and cautious, lips pressed beneath a shallow truth. “Regardless, the time draws nigh; Androth’s heir will lie before us ere an hour transpires. She’s with us now… a babe so pure. Darkness shan’t see that changed.”
With affectionate grace, she touched her middle.
I think the following words would be better replaced as noted:
annal – narrative – history – chronicle
borne – born
cautious – distressed – painful – careful
What does “lips pressed beneath a shallow truth” really mean? This comment becomes especially confusing in light of how the book ends.
Transpires? Who uses a word like that on their death bed?
The abuse of sophisticated and erudite sounding words is rampant throughout the book.
The use of dialects is not helpful. Perhaps the dialects will be helpful in keeping characters differentiated in future volumes, but in this one they do not work. In the following quote, both the abuse of dialect and vocabulary are evident:
As move for dwarven grooming was not oft done, Amarya made certain to express appreciation. “Be assured, my gentle Lord and Lady,” she began with cordial tongue. “Provided ale waits at your discretion. Be kind and help yourselves whenever you warrant the time. We elves partake little in suggestive brew. Whatever lasts the eve will be disposed of by morn.”
The Lady Myrna glanced at her stubbled husband with a greedy eye before looking back to Amarya. “By Bane’s red-tinged brood!” she exhaled deep. “Tha’s thar mos’ sensible thing I’ve heard speak from elven mouth all eve! I doth declare! Gloirin an’ I – we’ve been a travellin’ all thar long day to reach here. An’ not a momen’s res’ since we’ve arrived, no Miss.” Duerlagg’s lady elbowed her husband with bared teeth. Grunting, Gloirin glared at Myrna with a rippling curl. “An’ we’d ‘ave gotten here sooner - an’ shared in them feast - if we ‘ad no’ wasted time with damned preparations!” he sneered. With stocky fingers, the dwarven lord tore at his ragged plait, yanking loose the coarse hairs from its entangled folds.
Amarya flinched as the Lady punched her husband against his jowls and reached for his battered knuckles. But Gloirin avoided her reach by turning a thick shoulder and tearing violently at the knotted strands. In a mass of waving arms and mottled curses, Amarya stood helpless. Only when she heard heated whispers at her back did look upon the bustle with a furrowed brow. “Your Graces – please!” she exclaimed. “Stop this brash display!”
Lady Myrna hesitated beneath her raised fist and turned to face Androth’s royal, suddenly wary of her surroundings. Though Gloirin cared little for public image and wasted no time in taking advantage of Amarya’s disruption, pulling even more fiercely at his beard from behind.
“Whatever traces of hidden enmity linger betwixt you, I thank quite courteously your tolerable demeanor while in my presence,” Amarya eyed them firmly, swallowing against the quiver in her voice. “Now, if you would please…” Extending an upturned wrist, she indicated the kegs at the far wall. Even Gloirin looked up from his ragged plait. Stiffening against Amarya’s harsh words and proffered ale, the dwarven royals rose and bowed with feigned composure. A piercing desire reflected in their greedy eyes, and, with twitching fingers, they dismissed themselves, impudence forgotten
While the plot holds together for most of its length, the ending is wrong. I will not spoil it, but it is very unsatisfying. I understand the value of a “cliff- hanger” ending, but this is either too much or not enough. I think the book should end on page 239 with the phrase “the blood was not his own.”
Book Two should start there.
I seriously hope book two is less pretentious than book one was.
I received a copy from Rachel Hunter for an honest review
So I have to be completely honest, and I have to say this book was not for me. And it may be bold for me to say as I liked the story as far as I got. However, I really dislike the epic written form. I haven't read many epics in my life, and those I have read in English I have struggled with. Maybe it is because I am not a native english speaking person, so I find the language difficult. And I also think that the 'epic' makes it seem longer than it is. (I am quite aware that epic means long poem, but it just seems longer than long).
And I am a bit picky with character's point of view as well, and it is not often it works for me. I like the point of view changes in 'The Wheel Of Time' series because it works perfectly, but it somewhat fails here.
Rating: +3 Stars for the story -1 Star for the epic writing form -1 Star for the POW changes = total of 1 Star.
I really admire Rachel Hunter for all what she has archived in such a young age, and I wish her all the best of luck!