Incarnate Journey

by S.A. Thorup (Illustrator, Editor)

Sabra the incarnate was a queen among her people, a mother to her children, and a wife to a loving husband. She led a life of peace in the newly opened Libera, raised her son into a righteous king and her daughter a loyal ambassador. She loved her husband Henry, even in his sickness.
During this time, even this hero of Libera has her own demons to face. Henry's sickness reaches its peak, torturing his body to utter exhaustion and weakness, and Sabra must face his inevitable death. Unable to mentally face his leaving, Sabra begins to drown in self-imposed madness. Only one lupogryph, a wizard named Ķiaser can help turn her away from it.

When Sabra makes a choice to leave Zanoll, she, Kiaser, and other companions embark on a journey unlike any she has experienced. She deals with enemies she did not expect to face, while battling the storm within her. Will Sabra turn back to the gods that gave her life and destiny, or will she break under the pressures within and be destroyed in more ways than one?

355 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2013

About the author

S.A. Thorup was born in the beautiful Salt Lake Valley and raised in the LDS faith. She is an author of fantasy and sci-fi and several short stories. She has self-published several works. She has earned an Associate's of Arts in English and has been published in the short-story collection "The Many Lives of Roads and Russo."

Besides writing, Sarah enjoys art, archery, and looking at clouds and mountains. Her work is inspired by her faith, her desire to produce morally friendly literature, and her love for what the imagination is capable of.

Reviews

[W.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited to pick up this book and read it, as I have been a fan of much S. A. Thorup's series, Chronicles of Libera. This book tells the story of Sabra and her plunge into madness after the death of her husband, followed by her redemption afterward.

While I enjoyed most of the storyline quite a bit, there were a few things that brushed against my nerves just a little. The foremost was that when viewed in the correct light, Sabra's character almost comes across as a little too superior in some circumstances. I would caution the reader to take this with a grain of salt, given that the main character has been alive for some time and has had a while to hone many skills. I know the author personally and am aware of how she makes it a point to try and avoid Mary Sue-type (unrealistically superior) characters in her work. I will say that from my own experience, working with a highly-skilled character does have its challenges, so I can sympathize.

One aspect that I very much liked about this book was the main villain force, the Hunters. I felt that their society was set up well and believable as an intelligent, dangerous band of "bad guys". It's not difficult to loathe several prominent members, such as Oxuual.

I also appreciated the added insight into Kiaser, a character who appeared previously in the Legend of Draconite subseries. His character was nicely developed and likeable, and the interactions with his family and culture were a pleasure to read about, as well. The very ending of the book dragged just a little, as the major climax of the story had already come and gone, but it wasn't too bad. Several potential story threads remained open in just such a way as to get the reader interested in the second book of the Legacy Incarnate series.

I anticipate reading this book's sequel and hope that it won't be too terribly long before I get that chance.