The Conquered Shore is the fifth book from the Lodestone series. Author Mark Whiteway blew me away! He is absolutely genius. I actually read the first book (The Sea of Storms) before reading this one to better understand the characters and get familiar with the scenes. I was then transported to another dimension where I discovered a world with three suns shining up above, two of which rise from the west, and the other one is stationary. I discovered the world of Kelanni, the world where non humans exist. Kelanni people did not originate on this planet but they have travelled from a faraway world called Helvena.
Truth is, I have read a bunch of Sci-fi/thrillers before and the last one that really impressed me was the legendary Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. Now, this! Yes, I am comparing the author Mark Whiteway to one of my favorite sci-fi genius because his works are at par with Heinlein. I am utterly astonished with these men because of their wild imagination and creative juices. I am jealous of their talent of creating a futuristic world, filled interplanetary devices and different races. I wish I could create worlds like them.
After the first book, which I actually couldn't put down, I found myself liking The Conquered Shore more. I felt like I was getting involved emotionally with Keris and the quirky hu-man, Alexander McCann. The author made the Kelanni native Keris more relatable as a human while Alex McCann was as always a delight to read. I also loved the other characters in the book, like Lokk, Aevan, Zemira, even the keltars, Glaisne, Torile and Ash.
Usually, when I read a book, it's either I forget about the characters and events right away, or I maintain them inside my head and dream about them. When these characters invade my sleep, it can only mean one thing: the book was highly effective and very engaging. And I felt this after dreaming about Alex and Keris. I would want to go with them in seeking out the Guardians of the Forest. In short, there must be a Book Six to watch out for and I can't wait to read it!
If you're in the mood to read some sci-fi, i highly suggest you read this one. Perfect for sci-fi fans like me. If you want to read a modern-day Robert A. Heinlein masterpiece, read Mark Whiteway's Lodestone series and be blown away!