Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Fantasy Fiction
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 14, 2014
This was an excellent fantasy book (no spoilers below that aren't in the book description). The first book in a planned trilogy that should thankfully release every year so the wait times are reasonable. This is fiction in a Game of Thrones type setting and it focuses on the three children of the Emperor. The two sons get by far the most attention with Kaden, the oldest son and heir to the throne, who was sent to train as a monk and the younger son Valyn, was sent to train with the Kettral (the country’s elite military division). The oldest sibling is daughter Adare who remains at the capital. She has a minor role in the first book.
This is not a coming of age book. It’s a well written story focusing on the lives and training of the two sons and things are escalated due to the murder of their father the Emperor. I loved both characters and the supporting cast around them. There are many side characters that are interesting and pivotal to the story. There are also a number of mysteries in the book with the largest surrounding the Emperor’s death. They push the story along and hooked me in.
The fantasy elements themselves in this book are low key. There are many different gods and there is an underlying belief that they may affect things but for the most part this is a tale without god interference, without dragons (although a few non-earthly creatures exist) and largely without magic.
At the end of the day if you love fantasy fiction I can’t imagine you not loving this book.
