One thousand years ago, the Towers on the Isle of Wisdom were beacons of hope. Originally started to train Sorcerers, Clerics, and Warriors to protect the Athanasian Realm, the Towers gave the people a sense of security against the enemies in the Tenebrosity Realm. But when the original Tower members left, that peace was shattered, and now, the Towers have fallen into a state of decline. Now run by the Merila, the Mahatma, the Towers are not what they used to be. Magic users are practically impotent. The knowledge of the past has been hidden away, keeping everyone complacent and weak. Protecting the Athanasian Realm seems almost impossible now. When the current Luminary, Eliza, is poisoned and loses her powers, Merila appoints Eliza's Second, Adicia, to the position. Adicia, though, isn't quite as gullible and naIve as Merila thinks she is. When things start spiraling out of control around the time of the Springtime Celebration, Adicia and he friends, Tavis and Gara, discover things aren't quite what they seem. Orc attacks, ignored cries for help, and youth with magic abilities that haven't been seen in years force Adicia and her friends on a quest to track down the only man who can help them. There's only one problem - Garnrin is not only retired, he's also the only one who can bring Merila down. Adicia and her friends must fight rogue magic users, goblins, and hell hounds, all while trying to uncover the truth about the Towers, the Realm, and everything in-between. Can they bring the Towers back to their former glory, or will their quest lead to the destruction of the entire Athanasian Realm?
A sci-fi tale of magic, peril, orcs, friends, enemies - and deceit! Sincere characters and a capturing storyline keep you entertained. The Towers on the Isle of Wisdom, along with the Athanasian Realm, are in trouble. The author takes you on a perilous quest to find the secret truth about the Towers and the Realm. Recommended reading.
I was given this book for free at my request but the opinion is of my own. The towers were once centers of power training members of the realm of their magic and thereby protecting the realm. Now it seems the towers are completely gone to the waste side and the realm no longer wants to send their children to the towers to be trained. Soon a new Illuminati is made and she starts to find out the truth and how there’s been much lost. Amazing story and characters.
I loved this book, the characters are amazing, the story is very entertaining. The places described are incredible, If you are looking for a great book to read, you definitely need to read this one. I'm looking forward to reading the second book!
The shortest description I could offer of this book is that it reads like someone read the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, decided to run a Dungeons & Dragons campaign inspired primarily by the White Tower from that series, and then wrote a book based on that campaign.
Characters’ names are too similar to one another (such as the sisters Maddie, Maggie, and Nettie). We receive massive info-dump style backstories on characters in the most bland way possible. We are given the same information more than once in quick succession on multiple occasions. When meeting large groups of minor characters, the author feels the need to name each and every individual character, even if that character never shows up outside of that one mention. Idioms are misused. Language that seems modern and out of step with the fantasy genre. Other changes are made arbitrarily, like consistently referring to months as moons and replacing weeks with “tendays,” seem aimed at creating a fantasy feel but are applied so artlessly that it feels awkward and clunky. There is virtually no subtext, as the author seems committed to having every character explicitly state his or her thoughts. To be honest, I could go on but I don’t want to.
There are some good qualities. The core of the story is interesting, if not its execution. I like the idea of wizards’ lives being extended specifically due to the use of their magic, rather than the mere ability.
To be perfectly honest, if I had not agreed to review this book in exchange for a promotional copy, I would not have even finished it. I hate to give poor reviews to books that I have been given for that purpose, but I also must remain honest.
I just finished reading "Deceived" by M.C. Colon. It is a very fine book with a great story line. The story moves along at a good pace and keeps you well informed on the story line. Character are well thought out and go together well. I highly advise you check this book out!