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An evil spirit, trapped within a volcano for ages, escapes its fiery prison with a vow to destroy all life. Only a young Arboreal wizard and his companions dare to oppose the powerful creature. After a massive earthquake shakes the land, Jarlen, an inexperienced Arboreal wizard, and Tyraz, a Ferfolk warrior, travel from a cursed island in the north to the barren wastelands of the west, tracking an ancient spirit that is capable of combining living creatures with the dead. With little help from their respective communities, the two must discover the lyche's foul plans before there is nothing left to save.
316 pages, Paperback
First published February 13, 2014
213 people want to read
About the author
E.A. Rappaport
13 books11 followersAuthor of Legends of the Four Races, a series of nine fantasy adventure novels that form an Interlocking Matrix of six separate trilogies. http://www.owlking.com/matrix/
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 7, 2014
When an evil spirit threatens to destroy the world, only Jarlen the wizard and his friends can stand against him.
I must say that talk of evil spirits, dark magic, and a land of fantasy drew me in immediately. These are the stories I typically love. Unfortunately, this one didn’t draw me in the way I had hoped. I never got a glimpse inside the mind of evil which I found seriously lacking. My personal preference is always to see inside the mind of the antagonist. Let me know why he’s bent on killing or at least let me see things the way he sees it. With that element added, I think this story could have been brilliant.
The novel takes place in a fantasy land full of distinct races and cultures. Many of these I had not encountered before. I was intrigued most by Jarlen’s race, the Arboreals. They are a tree people, portrayed in a unique manner. It isn’t uncommon to have elves who take care of the forests, but these are actually tree-ish people. I found them fascinating and refreshing. They add a touch of whimsy to a story that could easily become overly serious with all the death and destruction.
It took me a while to settle into this story. At first there are too many random encounters that seem to only serve as a way for Jarlen to observe the strange changes taking place throughout the land. Those scenes did little to further the plot, and I admit I was confused. I didn’t know where they were going. It seemed like they were just wandering around looking for things to do. It wasn’t until the pair actually encountered the lyche, and took flight on some awesome winged sabertooth cats, that I really became interested.
Characters Jarlen and Tyraz are likeable enough. I did not find them to be complex nor any different from other fantasy heroes (except for Jarlen’s race). Chara provided a strong, resilient female presence, but I wasn’t given the opportunity to know her as well as I would have liked. The story never became dull, giving plenty of action scenes throughout. Unfortunately, those scenes failed to pull me into the action or hold me there. They simply came and went. While the story is interesting, it did not grip me or make me worry about the main characters. A good way to pass a rainy day, but not a story that will stick with me for a long time.
I must say that talk of evil spirits, dark magic, and a land of fantasy drew me in immediately. These are the stories I typically love. Unfortunately, this one didn’t draw me in the way I had hoped. I never got a glimpse inside the mind of evil which I found seriously lacking. My personal preference is always to see inside the mind of the antagonist. Let me know why he’s bent on killing or at least let me see things the way he sees it. With that element added, I think this story could have been brilliant.
The novel takes place in a fantasy land full of distinct races and cultures. Many of these I had not encountered before. I was intrigued most by Jarlen’s race, the Arboreals. They are a tree people, portrayed in a unique manner. It isn’t uncommon to have elves who take care of the forests, but these are actually tree-ish people. I found them fascinating and refreshing. They add a touch of whimsy to a story that could easily become overly serious with all the death and destruction.
It took me a while to settle into this story. At first there are too many random encounters that seem to only serve as a way for Jarlen to observe the strange changes taking place throughout the land. Those scenes did little to further the plot, and I admit I was confused. I didn’t know where they were going. It seemed like they were just wandering around looking for things to do. It wasn’t until the pair actually encountered the lyche, and took flight on some awesome winged sabertooth cats, that I really became interested.
Characters Jarlen and Tyraz are likeable enough. I did not find them to be complex nor any different from other fantasy heroes (except for Jarlen’s race). Chara provided a strong, resilient female presence, but I wasn’t given the opportunity to know her as well as I would have liked. The story never became dull, giving plenty of action scenes throughout. Unfortunately, those scenes failed to pull me into the action or hold me there. They simply came and went. While the story is interesting, it did not grip me or make me worry about the main characters. A good way to pass a rainy day, but not a story that will stick with me for a long time.
August 31, 2016
Fun fantasy adventure series. I was looking for something to read to take my mind of the real world when my wife was in the hospital and this series was just what I needed. I picked up the first few books in the series at a Ren Faire and had them all signed, too. I like that it is a set of 9 books in a matrix, so several trilogies with overlapping books. I am planning on reading them all in order, but it's nice to know how they interconnect with the others in the matrix.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews