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Dreams of Fire and Book Three
Long ago, two factions of gods, the Stronni and the Taaweh, nearly destroyed the Kingdom of Dasak in a great war. The Taaweh vanished when their queen was imprisoned, and the Stronni declared victory. A thousand years later, a young nobleman named Sael and his lover Koreh have rescued the Taaweh queen. In the process Koreh was killed, and now an injured Sael struggles to heal from both injuries and grief. Unknown to him, Koreh embarks on a journey across the land of the dead, trying to make his way back to Sael—and to life. But time moves differently in the underworld, and decades pass while Koreh travels.
In the living world, tensions between the emperor and Sael’s father, Vek Worlen, who is regent of the eastern kingdom, have soured beyond repair. Worlen conspires with the assassin Donegh to break into the imperial palace and challenge the emperor to a duel to the death. But the goddess Imen has chosen a young priest named Gonim as her champion. Through him she discovers the Taaweh have returned, and her enraged king threatens to destroy Dasak and all its human inhabitants. Sael must save his world, must confront the gods and persuade them not to destroy humankind. But it seems hopeless. If only Koreh were at his side…
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 16, 2013
2 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
James Erich
7 books71 followersJames Erich has had a passion for young adult fiction since he was a teenager himself. In his high school and college years, he was saddened to see how few positive stories with gay protagonists there were, but is delighted to see that changing. Though he has previously published adult titles under another pen name, James recently joined the ranks of YA novelists, with the publication of his first YA novel, “Seiðman.” He is openly gay and lives with his husband in the small town of Raymond, NH.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 23, 2013
I am so surprised how much I fell in love with this trilogy. As I said in the reviews for the first 2 books, I am not a Fantasy fan. I hate learning weird sounding names and some of the "slang" and languages of fantasies but Dreams of Fire & Gods is just a wonderful exception.
1. Plot & Writing
I actually read the first book just last month so I am grateful to be able to have read all 3 in such successions without much wait between.
James Erich has a very vivid and colorful way of writing. He makes well-defined 3 dimensional characters. He cultivates a mostly excellent Romance and he knows how to write incredibly engaging action sequences.
The plot continues where Book 2 left out, with Sael reeling and recovering from the loss of Koreh and Koreh coming to terms with being dead and what this means as he begins to struggle with the possibility that in death, the more time he spends there he could very well begin to forget his life...and Sael. Meanwhile, the Stronni are desperate to discover the secrets that Harleh are hiding while the Vek is ready to make his endgame move for the battle of his life against the emperor...It is a fight to death and it is one that certainly can't be missed and it has a shocking turn that I did not see coming.
MY only complaint about this book is that for the first half of the book, Koreh & Sael's storylines were sort of treated as secondary. There were 4 different plotlines that focused on Koreh, Sael, The Stronni and the servants and Donegh. While they eventually all connected together, I would have rather spent more time with Koreh & Sael instead of splitting time with the stronni servant and Donegh. I like DOnegh's character but his time in Book 2 was kind of irrelevant and though this book served to evolve his character, it became almost too much Donegh at the expense of Sael and Koreh.
But for an excellent conclusion to the trilogy with a few twists and turns and wonderful developments, I greatly give the Writing & Plot an A+ aside from a few stumbles here and there.
2. Characters
Koreh & Sael are our main protagonists(though they share much of the spotlight this book with Gonnim & Donegh) and they are incredibly likeable people. Sael has long evolved from the coddled spoiled brat he used to be who was judgmental and ignorant to the lives of peasants into a more mature young man. Yes he is still a bit stuck in his ways but Sael's Character has grown so much. Koreh, I do like, but I feel like his character has changed SO MUCH. I've always felt like Koreh & Sael's relationship has grown way too fast. If I am to believe that the events of the three books aren't that long, it is less than a year but these boys are in love. Madly so....I've always been slightly disappointed because their love never had many challenges to it. Yeah, the Vek expressed his distaste and threaten to break them apart but they were just threats.
They sort of just got together a bit too fast and their relationship kind of was boring to me. Yes, they are incredibly cute together but unlike a couple who you felt sorry for(Tannum & Sael's brother) and you saw that through Sael's brother's death she grew into a great woman/character....Koreh on the other hand sort of lost his identity the moment he met Sael. He is an honorable boy but so much of Koreh's existence was wrapped up in Sael. In fact everything he more or less did was for Sael to the point it was like Koreh was merely a plot device to better Sael.
That said, Koreh is far more useful & Interesting as a character. While Sael does develop far more and has an identity on his own without Koreh, Sael more or less does nothing this book. In fact, I can list many things Koreh did that are memorable but Sael was sad that Koreh was dead and that was about it. Sael was sort of useless this book and that did sort of make him less interesting. Koreh certainly had a surprise of his own in the land of the death and I greatly enjoyed seeing that because we finally get a brief glimpse at Koreh's life pre-Sael and it made him feel more 2 dimensional(Not 3-Dimensional) than his usually 1 dimensional "I Love sael and I will always be with sael no matter what" existence.
Secondary characters were excellent....
Donegh takes up one of the four main plot lines and it was incredible to see his sense of honor and glimpses of vulnerability. He is a strong boy. A fighter but he isn't as dark or jaded as I first thought in the second book. I always felt like Donegh was severely underutilized in Book 2 as he was there and then he just suddenly disappeared. Book 3 puts him in a more focal point and I love his scenes. TBH, I wish he was Sael's love interest because Donegh is actually a bit more interesting than Koreh was.
Gonim was the other main plot who was being used as a proxy of some sort for the Stronni to investigate what was going on Harleh. He was a good guy and I enjoyed him and his devotion to the Gods. He had some truly memorable and emotional scenes and he was certainly an amazing secondary character.
Other Characters such as the Vek were given some great time to shine especially as we see the Vek preparing himself for the final battle against the emperor. The vek is a man who by nature comes off as an asshole who doesn't care too much about anything but power and image but this is a Flawed man who underneath his stern ways and firm beliefs does care not only for his people...but for his family. He is appalled at the idea of Tanum being an apprentice of the master because of the image it was giving but at the same time you could tell he did care for her well-being. He is a great man with a lot of honor.
Tanum has always been sort of under utilized but I was greatly happy to get more scenes with her and seeing her evolve as a character. She is a strong woman.
Master Geilin was sort of thrown into the background. I guess his development happened more in Books 1 and 2, that he is sort of kind pf just there in Book 3 but he still does more than Sael does :P
Overall despite my complaints of Koreh & Sael, these characters are a wonder and delight to read about and I wished there was more.
There is one character I can't discuss without giving too much away but I was great to see some of this person as well.
3. Overall
James Erich has a new fan of his. I am in love with his Dreams Trilogy and I will be reading Seidman and other works by him in the future.
I have found a love for Fantasy fiction, I have a crush on Donegh's sexiness :P and I do adore Koreh & Sael, even if sometimes their relationship was a bit too...easy for me. I think I like Koreh & Sael better APART than I prefer them together.
This is a trilogy I can read over and over again and the writing certainly stays with you.
Despite a few complaints I had, I can wait this book's greatness a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
FEEL FREE TO WRITE MORE ON THE BOYS AND DONEGH! I want some more DONEGH<3
1. Plot & Writing
I actually read the first book just last month so I am grateful to be able to have read all 3 in such successions without much wait between.
James Erich has a very vivid and colorful way of writing. He makes well-defined 3 dimensional characters. He cultivates a mostly excellent Romance and he knows how to write incredibly engaging action sequences.
The plot continues where Book 2 left out, with Sael reeling and recovering from the loss of Koreh and Koreh coming to terms with being dead and what this means as he begins to struggle with the possibility that in death, the more time he spends there he could very well begin to forget his life...and Sael. Meanwhile, the Stronni are desperate to discover the secrets that Harleh are hiding while the Vek is ready to make his endgame move for the battle of his life against the emperor...It is a fight to death and it is one that certainly can't be missed and it has a shocking turn that I did not see coming.
MY only complaint about this book is that for the first half of the book, Koreh & Sael's storylines were sort of treated as secondary. There were 4 different plotlines that focused on Koreh, Sael, The Stronni and the servants and Donegh. While they eventually all connected together, I would have rather spent more time with Koreh & Sael instead of splitting time with the stronni servant and Donegh. I like DOnegh's character but his time in Book 2 was kind of irrelevant and though this book served to evolve his character, it became almost too much Donegh at the expense of Sael and Koreh.
But for an excellent conclusion to the trilogy with a few twists and turns and wonderful developments, I greatly give the Writing & Plot an A+ aside from a few stumbles here and there.
2. Characters
Koreh & Sael are our main protagonists(though they share much of the spotlight this book with Gonnim & Donegh) and they are incredibly likeable people. Sael has long evolved from the coddled spoiled brat he used to be who was judgmental and ignorant to the lives of peasants into a more mature young man. Yes he is still a bit stuck in his ways but Sael's Character has grown so much. Koreh, I do like, but I feel like his character has changed SO MUCH. I've always felt like Koreh & Sael's relationship has grown way too fast. If I am to believe that the events of the three books aren't that long, it is less than a year but these boys are in love. Madly so....I've always been slightly disappointed because their love never had many challenges to it. Yeah, the Vek expressed his distaste and threaten to break them apart but they were just threats.
They sort of just got together a bit too fast and their relationship kind of was boring to me. Yes, they are incredibly cute together but unlike a couple who you felt sorry for(Tannum & Sael's brother) and you saw that through Sael's brother's death she grew into a great woman/character....Koreh on the other hand sort of lost his identity the moment he met Sael. He is an honorable boy but so much of Koreh's existence was wrapped up in Sael. In fact everything he more or less did was for Sael to the point it was like Koreh was merely a plot device to better Sael.
That said, Koreh is far more useful & Interesting as a character. While Sael does develop far more and has an identity on his own without Koreh, Sael more or less does nothing this book. In fact, I can list many things Koreh did that are memorable but Sael was sad that Koreh was dead and that was about it. Sael was sort of useless this book and that did sort of make him less interesting. Koreh certainly had a surprise of his own in the land of the death and I greatly enjoyed seeing that because we finally get a brief glimpse at Koreh's life pre-Sael and it made him feel more 2 dimensional(Not 3-Dimensional) than his usually 1 dimensional "I Love sael and I will always be with sael no matter what" existence.
Secondary characters were excellent....
Donegh takes up one of the four main plot lines and it was incredible to see his sense of honor and glimpses of vulnerability. He is a strong boy. A fighter but he isn't as dark or jaded as I first thought in the second book. I always felt like Donegh was severely underutilized in Book 2 as he was there and then he just suddenly disappeared. Book 3 puts him in a more focal point and I love his scenes. TBH, I wish he was Sael's love interest because Donegh is actually a bit more interesting than Koreh was.
Gonim was the other main plot who was being used as a proxy of some sort for the Stronni to investigate what was going on Harleh. He was a good guy and I enjoyed him and his devotion to the Gods. He had some truly memorable and emotional scenes and he was certainly an amazing secondary character.
Other Characters such as the Vek were given some great time to shine especially as we see the Vek preparing himself for the final battle against the emperor. The vek is a man who by nature comes off as an asshole who doesn't care too much about anything but power and image but this is a Flawed man who underneath his stern ways and firm beliefs does care not only for his people...but for his family. He is appalled at the idea of Tanum being an apprentice of the master because of the image it was giving but at the same time you could tell he did care for her well-being. He is a great man with a lot of honor.
Tanum has always been sort of under utilized but I was greatly happy to get more scenes with her and seeing her evolve as a character. She is a strong woman.
Master Geilin was sort of thrown into the background. I guess his development happened more in Books 1 and 2, that he is sort of kind pf just there in Book 3 but he still does more than Sael does :P
Overall despite my complaints of Koreh & Sael, these characters are a wonder and delight to read about and I wished there was more.
There is one character I can't discuss without giving too much away but I was great to see some of this person as well.
3. Overall
James Erich has a new fan of his. I am in love with his Dreams Trilogy and I will be reading Seidman and other works by him in the future.
I have found a love for Fantasy fiction, I have a crush on Donegh's sexiness :P and I do adore Koreh & Sael, even if sometimes their relationship was a bit too...easy for me. I think I like Koreh & Sael better APART than I prefer them together.
This is a trilogy I can read over and over again and the writing certainly stays with you.
Despite a few complaints I had, I can wait this book's greatness a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
FEEL FREE TO WRITE MORE ON THE BOYS AND DONEGH! I want some more DONEGH<3
January 28, 2014
4.5 Stars
4 or 5 months ago, I would have give this book 5 stars, but over time, as we read more books we become more evaluative in giving a rating. So yeah, I'll give this YA a 4.5 Stars.
I love this trilogy. I waited for this one. I love the characters of Sael and Koreh.
This books takes place right after the events in book 2. I did not reread book 2, so I am quite having trouble grasping the other names but it come to me as to continue to reading. This book is told in 4POV's, and I know that the fourway POV is critical in solidifying the plot. I just find the other POV boring sometimes.
But I fell in love with whole concept of this book. There are few Young-Adult books like this one. Plus I also love historical fantasy.
If you want a peace of mind after reading the book 2 of this book, you better read this one.
Special thanks to my secret santa for giving this to me.
4 or 5 months ago, I would have give this book 5 stars, but over time, as we read more books we become more evaluative in giving a rating. So yeah, I'll give this YA a 4.5 Stars.
I love this trilogy. I waited for this one. I love the characters of Sael and Koreh.
This books takes place right after the events in book 2. I did not reread book 2, so I am quite having trouble grasping the other names but it come to me as to continue to reading. This book is told in 4POV's, and I know that the fourway POV is critical in solidifying the plot. I just find the other POV boring sometimes.
But I fell in love with whole concept of this book. There are few Young-Adult books like this one. Plus I also love historical fantasy.
If you want a peace of mind after reading the book 2 of this book, you better read this one.
Special thanks to my secret santa for giving this to me.
March 10, 2015
Another five stars from me for this final installment in the Dreams of Fire and Gods trilogy. I absolutely loved how the author ended this series it just couldn't have been better - especially the Tawveh aspect of it. In the words of a song I know 'it was an ending fitting for the start' and if you've read my reveiw of the start then you'll already know how much I loved that. ;-)
July 23, 2014
A spectacular and satisfying conclusion to the Dreams of Fire and Gods trilogy. Just when you think the world building and mythology can't get any better it goes and blows you away. Brilliant characters, engrossing story and an overall fantastic read, I am now a fan of the fantasy genre!
August 3, 2016
Sael, Koreh, the gods, and the people of Dasak get their deserved ending.
January 30, 2016
great YA fantasy series but I didn't like the ending, I'm getting used to this lol.
April 9, 2015
either 3.5 or 4 stars - it could still use some fleshing out, but it was definitely better than the first two. the wider spectrum of POVs made it feel less shallow, I think, and this conception of the afterlife was interesting and pretty well explored; I quite like what it did with both factions of gods. some of my gripes from the first book remain but it was much better all in all, and the ending was really sweet.
January 4, 2016
Reviewed by Brandilyn for Prism Book Alliance Oh and as an aside. Don't let the "YA" label dissuade you from enjoying this fabulous series. I wouldn't label them "YA" so much as "fiction" and "fantasy." They are written for everyone. Find the full review at http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...
April 4, 2015
3.75 stars.
A very fitting ending for this series, with lots of magic, gods at war, kingdoms to conquer and lovable characters!
A very fitting ending for this series, with lots of magic, gods at war, kingdoms to conquer and lovable characters!
August 26, 2016
That moment when you finish a good book and feel devastated and serene at the same time.
I love it this!, and that's the only comment I make. Suffice to say it's very very good.
I love it this!, and that's the only comment I make. Suffice to say it's very very good.
March 6, 2025
4.5/5.
The first half of the first book revolves around Koreh escorting Seal back home. The two bicker and argue their way through, both getting into trouble, while also taking care of Seal’s injured teacher. The old mage can only respond to these two stubborn boys with a shrug and a feigned deafness, which adds a lot of humor. This part fits the typical fantasy adventure plot.
In the second half of the first book, Koreh finally delivers Seal, the “Little Lord,” into the hands of his father, the “My Lord” regent. Just when things are getting heated between them, Seal's father catches them in the act. The regent uses a mix of threats and bribery: “You lowly peasant, choose between ‘take the money and leave my son’ and ‘I’ll have you killed.’” At this moment, the imperial army is already at the gates, and both the regent and the little lord are at risk, yet this lord is more concerned about quashing the budding romance between the two boys. Just then, the Taaweh deity clan appears to support Koreh, who suddenly transforms into a divine envoy. The Taaweh says, “Insignificant mortal, if you want our aid against the imperial army, you must not belittle our envoy.” With the old mage mediating, the regent has no choice but to relent. This made me laugh out loud. Thus, an alliance is formed, and the civil war within the empire begins.
In the second book, the civil war continues, and the Taaweh deity clan returns. In the third book, there is a decisive battle between the Taaweh and Stronni deity clans. Throughout this process, Koreh and Seal’s love is tested and gradually deepens, while the truth about the Taaweh clan's identity begins to surface. Spoilers end here :)
This series has been a delightful surprise in my recent “fantasy archaeology” journey. I’ve recently heard fellow fans complain about the lack of good High Fantasy in MM Fantasy, and I finally struck gold with this one. The series skillfully combines an alternate world setting, grand war scenes, romantic comedy dialogues, and nuanced emotions. Though it’s a trilogy, each book is only around 200 pages, totaling just over 600 pages, which is comparable to a single long fantasy work. The author has condensed a rich plot into a tightly woven narrative. Several key plot twists are quite unexpected yet make perfect sense. The narrative includes not only Koreh and Seal’s perspectives but also brief viewpoints from other characters. While the writing may seem scattered, it actually approaches the core plot from various angles. It has a bit of a streamlined “Game of Thrones” vibe. Therefore, reading this series requires some thought; you might need to go back and piece together earlier parts to fully understand why certain developments occur without losing a few brain cells along the way.
The first half of the first book revolves around Koreh escorting Seal back home. The two bicker and argue their way through, both getting into trouble, while also taking care of Seal’s injured teacher. The old mage can only respond to these two stubborn boys with a shrug and a feigned deafness, which adds a lot of humor. This part fits the typical fantasy adventure plot.
In the second half of the first book, Koreh finally delivers Seal, the “Little Lord,” into the hands of his father, the “My Lord” regent. Just when things are getting heated between them, Seal's father catches them in the act. The regent uses a mix of threats and bribery: “You lowly peasant, choose between ‘take the money and leave my son’ and ‘I’ll have you killed.’” At this moment, the imperial army is already at the gates, and both the regent and the little lord are at risk, yet this lord is more concerned about quashing the budding romance between the two boys. Just then, the Taaweh deity clan appears to support Koreh, who suddenly transforms into a divine envoy. The Taaweh says, “Insignificant mortal, if you want our aid against the imperial army, you must not belittle our envoy.” With the old mage mediating, the regent has no choice but to relent. This made me laugh out loud. Thus, an alliance is formed, and the civil war within the empire begins.
In the second book, the civil war continues, and the Taaweh deity clan returns. In the third book, there is a decisive battle between the Taaweh and Stronni deity clans. Throughout this process, Koreh and Seal’s love is tested and gradually deepens, while the truth about the Taaweh clan's identity begins to surface. Spoilers end here :)
This series has been a delightful surprise in my recent “fantasy archaeology” journey. I’ve recently heard fellow fans complain about the lack of good High Fantasy in MM Fantasy, and I finally struck gold with this one. The series skillfully combines an alternate world setting, grand war scenes, romantic comedy dialogues, and nuanced emotions. Though it’s a trilogy, each book is only around 200 pages, totaling just over 600 pages, which is comparable to a single long fantasy work. The author has condensed a rich plot into a tightly woven narrative. Several key plot twists are quite unexpected yet make perfect sense. The narrative includes not only Koreh and Seal’s perspectives but also brief viewpoints from other characters. While the writing may seem scattered, it actually approaches the core plot from various angles. It has a bit of a streamlined “Game of Thrones” vibe. Therefore, reading this series requires some thought; you might need to go back and piece together earlier parts to fully understand why certain developments occur without losing a few brain cells along the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2019
A good and satisfying ending.
In this last installment of Dreams of Fire and Gods trilogy, everything comes to an end (obviously). The war between Worlen and the emperor, the Stronni and the Taaweh, the reappearance of Donegh and also, Koreh, with the additional of a new face, Gonim, whom Imen, a goddess of Stronni with a plan of her own, takes control over to travel to Harleh.
The first few chapters felt long to me because of four characters' arcs, Sael, Koreh, Donegh, and Gonim. But after a while, I could get myself to get used to it. I was skeptical about Koreh in particular since he's dead and I was wondering what purpose did he serve in this book until the twist. That brilliant twist. I liked it a lot.
The first half of the book was a gripping read with lots of questions raised especially regarding Koreh's story and Donegh's reappearance. I liked how the author weaved the plot. The build up to the second half of the book, to the twist, was absolutely good by the time everything was revealed, I was in awe with all the new information that slapped me at my face. The conflict between Stronni and the Taaweh was intriguing and it's really great to learn more of the Taaweh in the second half.
But as much as I enjoyed the last installment of this particular trilogy, I still felt it's a bit lacking.
I felt like Donegh's character was still not fully developed despite his reappearance in the story. I wished the author could fill us with more of the event that happened in between his disappearance in the second book and his reappearance in this story. There's a lot to explore about Donegh. His character had a great potential, but I felt like the author didn't make full use of it.
I felt the same way with Gonim's character as well. His purpose in the book was indeed a strong one. If it's fleshed out more and polished, I was positive that his story could be an emotionally powerful one. Him and also Imen. I found their dynamic interesting. I'd like to see it being explored and developed more.
I also wished the conflict between the Stronni and the Taaweh was delved in deeper. I wasn't really satisfied with how it ended. It felt somewhat incomplete. The whole issue about these gods was intriguing and I thought it would be great if the author could dive into it.
I'd say that the first installment was my most favourite one. I really liked Koreh and his personality during the first book. But in terms of character development, Sael's the best. His growth was extremely fun to read and follow. I just loved how he took his position as the dekan seriously and endeavoured to be the best he could. Koreh's character development might not be the greatest, but still he played a very big role in the entirety of this trilogy. If compared to Sael, Koreh definitely contributed a lot more than the other. His deeds were huge and all important ones. He's like the backbone of the story I would say.
Overall, I had a fun time reading the trilogy. It was good and entertaining, lush and vivid. Other than Donegh and Gonim, the side and minor characters were memorable, even if not all of them. The world-building was one of the strong aspects of the story. I adored the way the author created the world. He definitely has a great potential in it. The plot and the twists were extremely enjoyable. I would love to read more of his works in the future.
In this last installment of Dreams of Fire and Gods trilogy, everything comes to an end (obviously). The war between Worlen and the emperor, the Stronni and the Taaweh, the reappearance of Donegh and also, Koreh, with the additional of a new face, Gonim, whom Imen, a goddess of Stronni with a plan of her own, takes control over to travel to Harleh.
The first few chapters felt long to me because of four characters' arcs, Sael, Koreh, Donegh, and Gonim. But after a while, I could get myself to get used to it. I was skeptical about Koreh in particular since he's dead and I was wondering what purpose did he serve in this book until the twist. That brilliant twist. I liked it a lot.
The first half of the book was a gripping read with lots of questions raised especially regarding Koreh's story and Donegh's reappearance. I liked how the author weaved the plot. The build up to the second half of the book, to the twist, was absolutely good by the time everything was revealed, I was in awe with all the new information that slapped me at my face. The conflict between Stronni and the Taaweh was intriguing and it's really great to learn more of the Taaweh in the second half.
But as much as I enjoyed the last installment of this particular trilogy, I still felt it's a bit lacking.
I felt like Donegh's character was still not fully developed despite his reappearance in the story. I wished the author could fill us with more of the event that happened in between his disappearance in the second book and his reappearance in this story. There's a lot to explore about Donegh. His character had a great potential, but I felt like the author didn't make full use of it.
I felt the same way with Gonim's character as well. His purpose in the book was indeed a strong one. If it's fleshed out more and polished, I was positive that his story could be an emotionally powerful one. Him and also Imen. I found their dynamic interesting. I'd like to see it being explored and developed more.
I also wished the conflict between the Stronni and the Taaweh was delved in deeper. I wasn't really satisfied with how it ended. It felt somewhat incomplete. The whole issue about these gods was intriguing and I thought it would be great if the author could dive into it.
I'd say that the first installment was my most favourite one. I really liked Koreh and his personality during the first book. But in terms of character development, Sael's the best. His growth was extremely fun to read and follow. I just loved how he took his position as the dekan seriously and endeavoured to be the best he could. Koreh's character development might not be the greatest, but still he played a very big role in the entirety of this trilogy. If compared to Sael, Koreh definitely contributed a lot more than the other. His deeds were huge and all important ones. He's like the backbone of the story I would say.
Overall, I had a fun time reading the trilogy. It was good and entertaining, lush and vivid. Other than Donegh and Gonim, the side and minor characters were memorable, even if not all of them. The world-building was one of the strong aspects of the story. I adored the way the author created the world. He definitely has a great potential in it. The plot and the twists were extremely enjoyable. I would love to read more of his works in the future.
November 20, 2018
Yesss, there is a happy ending! Yes! And surely they deserve it, after the heart-wrenching finale of the second book. Luckily, it all worked out quite nicely in the end.
What I loved about this volume, other then a glorious HEA, is how we get answers and explanations to a lot of things and they fit and make the plot and the world whole. Like for example who the Taaweh really are - I really liked that one. And we get to meet Sael's older brother! What I missed in this volume was more interactions between Sael and Koreh, but unfortunately much of the book happens when they are apart. Truth to be told, I didn't care much about Donegh and Gonim but their parts were readable enough.
What I also missed - well, a bit - was a good secondary female character as a counterbalance to a lot of men in the series The author chose to make his world a one where women are considered inferior to men - and it shows. Other then the goddesses (which are, well... goddesses, and not the real women) there are omem - a powerful sisterhood with rather selfish motives, difficult to like as they only care about themselves and are extremely vengeful - in the end they refuse to help a dying man because he forbid their sisters to leave Harleh. There is a glimpse of Koreh's mother - a rather stereotypical representation of what a mother should look like. There is Tanum who had potential, but in the end appeared mostly silly. Marik cares only about her vengeance. So, no female worth a real mention in the end. I suppose it could be worse though.
Overall, this book was maybe not as enjoyable as the first one in the series, but it has left me with quite a satisfying feeling. 3.75 stars. Going to check out more books from this author!
What I loved about this volume, other then a glorious HEA, is how we get answers and explanations to a lot of things and they fit and make the plot and the world whole. Like for example who the Taaweh really are - I really liked that one. And we get to meet Sael's older brother! What I missed in this volume was more interactions between Sael and Koreh, but unfortunately much of the book happens when they are apart. Truth to be told, I didn't care much about Donegh and Gonim but their parts were readable enough.
What I also missed - well, a bit - was a good secondary female character as a counterbalance to a lot of men in the series The author chose to make his world a one where women are considered inferior to men - and it shows. Other then the goddesses (which are, well... goddesses, and not the real women) there are omem - a powerful sisterhood with rather selfish motives, difficult to like as they only care about themselves and are extremely vengeful - in the end they refuse to help a dying man because he forbid their sisters to leave Harleh. There is a glimpse of Koreh's mother - a rather stereotypical representation of what a mother should look like. There is Tanum who had potential, but in the end appeared mostly silly. Marik cares only about her vengeance. So, no female worth a real mention in the end. I suppose it could be worse though.
Overall, this book was maybe not as enjoyable as the first one in the series, but it has left me with quite a satisfying feeling. 3.75 stars. Going to check out more books from this author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2016
This was somewhat disappointing. The sections following Sael's father going against the emperor were hugely boring, and when they ended with his immediate death after ascension, and I realised that the whole point was just to put Sael on the throne... it lost me then. Seriously. Was there a need to do that???
I did like the romance between Sael and Koreh. They were cute.
I did like the romance between Sael and Koreh. They were cute.
February 7, 2018
Apasionante trilogía. Una de las mejores del genero fantasía que he podido leer.
Me encanto el felices para siempre de todo y el epílogo de Worlen.
Me encanto el felices para siempre de todo y el epílogo de Worlen.
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