La Prophétie du Royaume de Lur - L'intégrale

Kingmaker, Kingbreaker #1-2

by Karen Miller

Au royaume de Lur, tous les chemins mènent à Dorana, la flamboyante capitale où la magie règne sans partage. Comme d’autres avant lui, Asher, un jeune fils de pêcheur, s’y rend en quête d’aventures. Il est introduit à la cour par le Prince Gar, avec lequel il a noué une amitié inattendue. Or naviguer dans les hautes sphères s’avère loin d’être simple, et les pièges sont nombreux pour un jeune homme qui n’a pas la langue dans sa poche. Asher va surtout se retrouver confronté à de sombres secrets de magie noire et de prophétie sinistre, annonçant le déclin du royaume… à moins qu’un mage inconnu parvienne à s’y opposer.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy

883 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. Please see this thread for more details.

Also writes as "K.E. Mills"

Lord, do you really want to know?

Oh, all right.

I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in handy.

I’ve always lived in Sydney, except when I didn’t. After graduating with a BA Communications from the then Institute of Technology (now University) a few years ahead of Hugh Jackman, dammit, talk about rotten timing, I headed off to England and lived there for 3 years. It was interesting. I worked for a bunch of nutters in a community health centre and got the sack because I refused to go do EST with them (you stand in the middle of a circle and thank people for hurling verbal abuse at you for your own good, they said, and then were surprised when I said no), was a customer services officer for DHL London (would you believe at one time I knew every single airport code for every single airport in the world, off by heart?!?), got roped into an extremely dubious life insurance selling scheme (I was young and broke, need I say more?) and ended up realizing a life-long dream of working professionally with horses. After 18 grueling months I woke up, and came home.

Since then I’ve done customer service in the insurance and telecommunications industries, been a training officer, PR Officer in local government, production assistant in educational publishing, taught English and Business Communication at TAFE, been a supervisor and run my own sf/fantasy/mystery bookshop. Money for jam, there! I also managed to squeeze in a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University.

I used to have horses of my own, and spent lots of time and money showing, breeding, training and judging, but then I came off one time too many and so a large part of my life ended.

When I’m not writing I’m heavily involved in the Castle Hill Players, my local community theatre group, as an actor, director, prompt, stage manager (but not all at once!) and publicity officer.

I’m a story junkie. Books, film, tv ... you name it. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), Stargate, Firefly, X-Men, Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, The Professionals, Forever Knight, Due South, The West Wing, The Shield, Sandbaggers, Homicide, Wiseguy, The Shield, The Closer ... and the list goes on. And that’s just the media stuff!

I love music. While writing I listen primarily to film soundtracks, because they’ve been written primarily to evoke emotional responses in the listener. This helps access emotion during tough scenes. Plus, the music is pretty. At least the stuff I listen to is. Favourite film composers include Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Horner and John Williams. Vocalists I enjoy are Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel , Queen, The Moody Blues, Steeleye Span, Meatloaf, Mike Oldfield ... anyone who can carry a tune, basically.

In short, I’m an only child with an overactive imagination, 3 dogs, 2 cats and not enough hours in the day. I don’t drink, smoke, or do enough exercise. I make periodic stabs at eating properly. Chocolate is my besetting downfall.

So that’s me. You can wake up now ...

Reviews

[Annalise Kraines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. Okay. Okay. I didn't realize that a fantasy novel could be so unpretentious, so intimate and cozy yet so sinister. It's also somehow a slow burn novel, a big ole slice of life that slowly and menacingly unravels. Also!! This is a fantasy novel about colonization and its effects and DANG the micro aggressions?? The self-rejection?? The friggin character development?? Asher, our lil protagonist fisherman boy (he just wants a BOAT named after his DEAD MOM so he can go fishing with his DAD) slash chosen one, remains fully himself throughout the whole entire saga-- brash, unimpressed by power, deeply intelligent, and loyal. He's great. And Prince Gar just wants to be loved so bad. The friendships in this book are great and also so devastating. I don't want to give too much away, but I straight up gasped when I got to the final chapters of this. Karen how could you do this to me

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the best books that I had read in years in terms of building up and not giving away any of the plot. There were some serious plot twists and turns in here that I never saw coming and I have to give it to the writer because after reading a few hundred fantasy novels alone it's hard to blindside me the way that some of the things in here did. I like to think that I'm pretty familiar with the typical tropes used in the genre.

Unfortunately, I think the ending was a bit anticlimactic. Maybe that's because I'm a guy and I often think that fantasy novels written by a woman focus more on romantic relationships than they need to and less on fighting and ass kicking than I'd like them to, and maybe because it was such a phenomenal build up that it would have been difficult to make it worthy. Probably a bit of both.

There are other books set in this world and I know that I will read them. I have two others on my shelf already that I picked up a second hand store but I think I'm missing one or two in the series before I get to those so it may be a while before I find them.

Asher is a great character and the relationships between the characters is more than realistic and believable. His interaction with others is a huge part of the story and Miller makes you really buy it, there were very few if any hokey reactions that sometimes pop up when someone is writing a tense back and forth between two people.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I'm a sucker for high fantasy and prophecy nonsense so I was ready to dive into a real page turner and instead I got something that was.....meh.

It feels like the story is being told at me. There's no need to infer subtext from anything the characters are saying or what they're doing because they'll either say it or the author will explain it a sentence later.

I didn't enjoy most of the main characters since they didn't change at all throughout the entire story. They would all keep having the same arguments, the same realizations, and it just got tedious after a while.

The only story line and character interactions I was excited about were Fane and Gar. And that went absolutely nowhere and I felt like that was a FANTASTIC plot line and character dynamic to follow that was ultimately wasted.

The "climax" felt hollow and the big bad Morg seemed more like an inconvenience than an actual world ending baddie.

If you just want something to kill time, I'd give it a whirl, but if you want a real page turner, I'd look elsewhere.

[Kylie Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this is two books in one so quite a monster to tackle. It took a lot to stick with it. It was very very slow paced in the first book, and then crammed a lot in to the final couple of chapters of the second. It would make a great tv series though, if the story was fleshed out a bit more to add more interest and twists and turns to quicken the pace. The characters were very loveable, Asher and Dathne (great name!) in particular and Gar too. Beautiful use of language and some fantastic words that need to be reintroduced. I am looking forward to reading the blight of mages next - however after reading those two feel as though the prequel may have been enough for me alone, despite everything I've read saying you need to read these two first.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to explain exactly how I felt about this book. In some ways I found it obnoxious... The characters could be so petty and melodramatic and the plot was annoyingly predictable. However, in another way, there was something about it that made me feel at ease and enjoy the ride. It reminded me of playing at being adventurers with my siblings when I was a kid. There wasn't anything hugely dramatic or life-altering, but it was good entertainment that kept me reading and made me laugh. I'd recommend this to younger audiences or people who have the capacity to enjoy medieval teen melodrama.

[Irrelephant · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. I read the entire thing fairly quickly, which is always a good sign. The writing style is nice. I liked the characters and plot and magic system. I feel like it could have been a little more complex. There was a great opportunity to look more in depth at the two peoples and magics and how one was basically suppressed and ruled over by the other. There ending was a little too brief and uneventful for me. But overall it was was pretty well done.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic in a magical land

By Barl, this was a good summer read. The characters are fresh and warm from the fisherman’s dialect and growth to the sharp tongued bookseller and fancy magicless prince. The story is fast paced with strong relationships challenged and epic adventure.

[Arain Yoachum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story. It kept me flipping the pages till the end. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future!

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent tale. It kept me reading. =)

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

Карън Милър, обективно погледнато, е доста непознат — при това и жена — автор на фентъзийни романи. Чиста схизма за обичайното българско книгоиздаване досега, напълно погазена за добро от великолепните “МБГ Букс”, отварящи ни очите за купчини страхотни чуждоземски думомагьосници и поднасящи ни ги по модерному — в цветове, блясък и вдъхващи огън във въображението ни форми. Невинният маг, Узурпаторът и Последните дни са поредните красиви деца на книжната форма, нежно прилягащи в ръцете на развълнуваните почитатели на хартиени думи и отварящи умозрението ни към още един далечен свят, отделен може би на секунди, може би на еони от днешния ден.

Кралете на рая, в оригинал звучащи нещо като Кралеправячи, кралесвалячи — между другото много добър избор за именуване на поредицата, напълно уместен от по-обективна гледна точка, която ще придобиете след краткотраен размисъл над финалните акорди — е една чудесна, не само за непретенциозния вкус история, развиваща се в ограничено парченце от почти непознат свят, мъничко едемско кралство с контролиран климат, в което съжителстват елфоподобни русоляви магьосници и тъмнокоси обикновени хорица в йерархично дискриминационно разделение между светли богове и тъмни прислужници, което не пречи на никого, или поне такава е общата философия, насаждана грижливо от управляващата раса. В този свят магията е преимущество на благородните,а обикновените се радват, че могат да служат и обслужват надарените. Всеки отричащ и борещ се срещу статуквото бива кротичко обезглавен, като преди това е внимателно убеден в огромното си светотатство. И нещата си вървят бавно и спокойно. Зад огромна златна стена, отделяща ъгълчето рай от непознатия огромен свят навън, малкото кралство си се развива самодостатъчно и самодоволно, докато древната заплаха не се завръща за последно, разбутвайки реда и сеейки объркване, кървища и най-ужасното от всичко — промени.

Признавам, че идеята не е от най-оригиналните, трилогията си страда от обичайните за жанра пълнежно разтакаване, нелогични моменти и деус екс макина финалче. Но пък всичко туй бива доволно компенсирано от изключително интересните герои, нежно втъканите философски моменти на размисъл за дълга към семейството, приятелите и обществото и не на последно място страшно добрия подчертано творчески превод, подхождащ идеално на чепатите характери, биещи се за читателско внимание. Устатият и непоплюващ си рибарски син Ашър, отхвърлен от семейството и обичайния си живот, и безмагийният първи по рода си принц Гар, оцеляващ като ренегат в кралското семейство, където липсата на магия е далеч по-лошо увреждане от това, да речем да, си с две глави, спасяват драматично и доста показно своето малко дворче от невидимата опасност на непознатото зад стената сред локви от кръв, разчленени трупове на близки и твърде много гневна саможертва. Подчертано демонстративна кинематографичност със все спец ефектите, детайлно описани, разбира се; богатство на диалози, изпълнени с добро чувство за хумор; системата с външния елемент, който я разрушава, за да я подобри — въобще: изберете си своята любима характеристика на добрия фентъзи текст, и гарантирам, че тук тя е развита и представена в максимално висока степен и няма как да не усетите защо тази привидно доста схематично вярна на клишето поредица има потенциала да те замисли, натъжи и въздъхне много повече от някои нарочени за драматично-томителни подобни заглавия.

Новата вълна на достоверност във фентъзито е повлияла и на Милър, карайки я да изиграе доста ежедневна трагедия сред антигерои и антизлодеи, обхванати от обичайните чо��ешки проблемосъздаващи емоцийки като ревност, гняв и наранена гордост на невероятностен фон и с усложняващи реализма обстоятелства като магия и безсмъртие. Според мен доста приемлив компромис за търсещите истина в нереалността, успешен експеримент, предназначен за повече читателски групи — от обичайно заподозрените — и макар предназначена за изживяване на различни нива на възприятие, общата драма не остава не-позната от читателското сърце. Е, поне от моето, но някак усещам, подозирам, може би даже мъничко мечтая, и във вашите. Надявам се да видим повече от странните забавни герои и светове на Карън Милър на български, носталгията вече ме потупва леко по рамото да се завърна в света на лимитираните възможности и безкрайното желание за промяна срещу насаденото за правилно, във вариант на непокорство и бунтарство дори в по-добрите от моя лична гледна точка нетехнологични общества, нуждаещи се от разтърсване на умовете, ако ще и потънали в магични облаци от невероятности.

Раят също има нужда от прогрес, ако ще и само в умовете на своите владетели. Отнякъде се почва, а докъде ще се стигне — само леля Карън ще ни каже някой ден. Дано я прочета.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so pleased by all this good fantasy I've been reading lately! You definitely want to get this trade back omnibus version, because there is NO WAY you can read the end of The Innocent Mage and not immediately start on the second book.

It's just that good.

However, with Kingkiller and Locke Lamora hovering in the background of my mind, I am hard pressed to articulate how this book is as good...but not as good. It has none of the poetry of Kingkiller. None of the thrilling cunningness of Locke Lamora. None of the exquisite pacing and battles of Alera. Yet, this is an incredible duology (or should I say series? There's a second continuing set of books about Asher's kids and a prequel) and it rests solely on characterization.

Yeah. Characterization.

It begins with a story we've all heard before. Poor boy leaves his home to seek his fortune in the Big City. Fortuitously gets a job in the royal household. Secret prophecy. There's a bit of magic here and there, controlled by the inbred aristocracy. Yet in the first 3/4ths of The Innocent Mage , there are really only one or two events that really advance the plot. Only a few bits here and there that foreshadow and clue you in. And the thing is, it's not even focused solely on Asher. The main thrust actually reveals more about Gar, magickless Prince, Asher's best friend and boss, and his family. Yes, Asher's character is revealed, but he hardly changes except for becoming more deft at the city life. You really learn so much about Gar and his relationship to his family, to his responsibility, to his people, and to Asher. And it's pretty freaking wonderful. Other duos come to mind: Lock and Jean, Tavi and Max (or even Tavi and Kitai), and Asher and Gar are right up there. Asher loses none of his poor man's practicality and Gar loses none of his acute awareness of his station and their relationship is exquisitely crafted and strengthened by their personal backgrounds as well as their moral characters. Miller also does a great job sketching out the smaller secondary characters: the royal family (you really just fall in love with King Borne), Dathne (actually, I found her a little underdeveloped, but well enough for the purposes of the plot...all you need to know is she's got the Asher seal of approval), Matt, Pellen Orrick, Darran (DARRAN!) etc.

I could wax on and on about how much I loved Asher and Gar, separate and together, but then the next bit of the story happens and all of sudden it all thunders toward the ending. All your feelings of foreboding come to fruition and you can only gape as the shit hits the fan, because Miller's done just such a good job of carving out this little perfect world ( much like Barl did). The Innocent Mage ends on possibly one of the best cliffhangers I've ever witnessed. And you have to turn the page quickly! quickly! to get to The Awakened Mage .

Except now you know better. Now, you cringe with every new chapter wondering what terrible things are going to happen. And they do. And all your suspicions about political feuds and poisons come true. And all the heartbreak you expect to happen does. And Miller does a phenomenal job of creating parallels and echoes of key scenes in the first book that you may have thought were never going to come back up. And all of Asher's flaws, and all of Gar's, are exhibited in all their ugliness and you just wonder how anything is going to survive.

Then Gar pulls himself together. And so does Asher. And they end the book with an amazing, extremely touching, perfect moment.

There's a bit of an epilogue. And it hits all the right notes. Seemed a little Harry Potter-y, but a well done version. But now it makes sense considering The Fisherman's Children continues with Asher's children.

When it's all done and read, you realize that this book is an extremely powerful, masterful slow build. Though the plot is predictable, the villain not well-drawn or different in any way, Miller has taken you by the hand and you never even thought once to let go.

[Férial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. And that ending ! My.

Mixed feelings though. I enjoyed it as a whole (gave it a 4 stars, right ?). I loved how the author built her world (some would say "slowly". I won't). I loved her writing style. I loved this Weather magic. I loved the deep characterization. I loved the shift in POV. I loved, oh, I LOVED Prince Gar.

I didn't like the ever present prophecy thing (but that's just me. I believe people can change their destiny but here, ugh, they did EVERYTHING to have the prophecy fulfilled, no matter the cost).

I didn't very much like the changes in Asher. I understand what he's been through but still. I was a bit disappointed with him.

I also thought it would have been great to have more space dedicated to Asher mastering his powers. I mean, we knew he was practicing spells and all but I wish we could have watched him doing it (instead, we stayed in the kitchen). The transition from Innocent to Deadly would have been more credible.

As for the Doranen "colonization" (because that's what it is) and the Doranen/Olken living together but not actually living together (Doranen "superior" race), I didn't think much about it. I read Fantasy because I want something different from real life so I try not to connect the events of a book to real life events (let's avoid headaches when it's possible).

I didn't like Dathne for many reasons (manipulative being one of them). And what she did to Darran in the epilogue only emphasized that feeling. I hated her for that (but I already didn't like her in the first place, so the hate step was easy to take). I thought she was cruel. But Asher, the kind and compassionate Asher, the Asher with a heart as big as that, found what she did funny *shrug* Disappointed...

I know it sounds stupid but this precise fact decided me to not read the sequel duology. No more of Dathne, thanks. Plus, I just don't want a world without Gar (and Matt).

Another thing. It took 2 books to build the climax up but less than a chapter to the actual good/evil confrontation. I'm not for 100-pages-battles with gore and blood but, I don't know, it was just like Asher-comes-and-destroys-the-bad-guy faster than the speed of light, thank you, goodbye.

As for the villain. Not that smart really or perhaps overconfident ? (like every villain). Well.

Finally, to me, the real hero of this duology is Gar. Not Asher.

Anyway. To sum up, I have loved this read. I highly recommend it (unless one is looking for epic battles, Elves, Dragons, Fairies...be warned, there's "nowt" of this in this duology).

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic story following on from the prequel "A Blight of Mages" though 600 years later. I'm not happy with the hero - I have a Yorkshire friend who likes to tell me that blunt, plain-speaking truth is a sign of a true friend, whereas at times I'm tempted to tell him that hurtful sarcasm is more the sign of a total bastard. Well, that just about sums up Asher, the "hero" of this omnibus edition of "The Innocent Mage" and "The Awakened Mage".

It was a most enjoyable read, but as usual I have a few niggling complaints:

(spoilers, spoilers, spoilers, spoilers, spoilers, spoilers, spoilers)

The Innocent Mage page 284
"When at last their fury was sated and there weas nothing left in the world but torn flesh and pain, they dragged hom outside and threw him and his stripped-off clothing into the gutter".
My impression was not only had they beaten him half to death but that they had left him naked in the street to add to his shame. I'll allow him the boots, but I was surprised he still had his trousers on and even more surprised to read he still had his heavily-filled purse with him.

The Innocent Mage page 409
"Now the king was trying to save them with magic, shouting at the horses at the top of his lungs. Spells of somnolence. Spells of obedience. Even a spell to snap the harness so the carriage could break free. Spell after spell...Morgan destroyed each and every one with a thought".
Compare this later scene:
The Awakened Mage page 502
"Gar stared at him. 'The art - if you can call it that - of magically influencing another living being is long lost to us. Barl forbade it, and with good reason. Can you imagine what might happen if one magician could crawl inside another's mind and work his will unhampered?"
OK, horses aren't people, but they are living beings and if you can cast Somnolence and Obedience on horses, I doubt humans are exempt.

The Awakend Mage page 508
The icewine's thin, snow-laden tang sliced through the dining room's lingering redolence of honey-baked lamb, muscatel venison and spiced pork".
Real icewine is cloyingly sweet, although it tastes wonderful with a sugary pudding. However, I don't think this is what Ms Miller had in mind.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Miller brings to our attention a stunning example of epic fantasy in her omnibus edition of her Kingmaker, Kingbreaker saga. In part one, The Innocent Mage, we're introduced to young Asher, the son of a Olken fisherman from the small town of Restharven. The seventh son, Asher aspires to something higher than getting the leftovers from the family business. Taking only a meager purse and the clothes on his back, he travels to the golden city of Dorana, capital of the Kingdom of Lur, where King Borne works the extraordinary weather magic, thus maintaining predictable weather and constantly strengthening Barl's Wall, a golden barrier crafted long ago in order to keep the kingdom safe from evil forces without. No sooner does he reach the city before Asher is thrust into the intrigues of court politics after meeting Prince Gar, a magicless scion of the royal house. He quickly becomes immersed on the political tug-o-war, but not all is as straight forward as one might think. Darkness stirs beyond the wall and a Olken movement soon determines Asher is their best chance for victory. In The Awakened Mage, chaos stirs as the Doranen court is thrown into disarray and rebellion continues to bide it's time. Asher and Gar begin to understand their positions upon the tapestry of fate and as Barl's Wall begins to fail, they realize that, to save a kingdom, great sacrifice must be made.

Kingmaker, Kingbreaker was a fantastic blending of fantasy elements which, when mixed just right, create a masterpiece that is sure to pull even the most stubborn into it's embrace. Starting slow, the plot quickly picks up to become a veritable race at the end, pushed onward by the multitude of characters to wrap everything up and leave the reader wanting more. This will definitely become one of my re-reads and I can't wait to check out more of Miller's work.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the Omnibus edition of the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series, this book contained the two previously individually printed books that compile the duology. With that being said, it was best that they were made into this Omnibus edition for many, many reasons.

Book 1, The Innocent Mage (low 3 stars, I enjoyed this book. Yet, it was so boring at the same time. I didn't feel like I was pushing myself to read, but nothing ever happened to really keep my focus. There was no magic besides that of the Doranan or little whisps of some form of magic never really delved into for the Olken. It was frustrating. This book should have been halved and the second book should have been doubled. Miller spent so much time building characters and the like that in Book 2, The Awakened Mage (4 stars) could have severely benefited from some actual time and care into describing the magic, battles, storms, or even the wall. I felt like there just wasn't enough in it all. I wanted there to be so much more that it left me feeling rather flustered. Including the Epilogue; I mean, really? The things not explained drive me insane.

I liked both books and I love how Karen Miller writes, I was just slightly disappointed in the delivery of it all. I gave this Omnibus edition a solid 4 stars because I thoroughly enjoyed what WAS there, even though I think Miller had the ability to make it worlds better.

[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vote: 3,75
Class: L-B1 (FP)

(a Duology)

This series is somewhat reminiscent of the "Assassin Apprentice" saga by Robin Hobb: a character driven plot centered in a classic fantasy world.
However I liked it more: really touching, amazing characters, an excellent writing and an epic story which keeps you hooked to the end.
If there is a fault it's that the second half of the story (the Awakened Mage) feels too stretched and sometimes slow and the ending is too... expected.

The world (3,75) is a good classic fantasy world, not very original, but with history and legends and such. Well built and interesting.

The characters (4,25) are really great and you grow to care for them. They're even funny at times. Convincing.

The plot (3,50) is character driven but greatly intriguing and well paced and I was caught by it. The ending is not up to the beginning but it's good too.

The writing style (3,90) is good, even if sometimes in the first part is too slow.

A great epic story and the story of some really great characters! To read and to recommend.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts off with a young boy adventuring off to prove to his older brothers and family that he isn't the helpless youngest brother and he finds his own place and fate waiting for him.

I really enjoyed this book; it was very well written and I impatiently turned each page to continue the story. The only flaw I felt this book had was that it got slow at some points and despite the whole book slowly climbing to reach the climax of the book, I felt the climax didn't reach the peak I was hoping. All in all, it was an amazing read.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. I liked how each chapter was a direct continuation from the last. I felt like the book flowed nicely and was well-written. I enjoyed the fact that I felt like I was living through the characters in their day-to-day life; I never missed a day of their adventure. I never felt as though there was a dull moment and the characters were role-models and heroes individually; they were refreshing. I definitely recommend this book looking for an adventure.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters are what makes this story interesting; they are fully fleshed out, likeable, and driven by their own needs. Their growth occurs gradually, while circumstances grow rapidly out of control. For those who like books that go from point A to B, this is a good choice, as the detail is kept to a minimum, and there is little sidetracking.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite enjoyable. The plot is fun, the characters are diverse, and the fantasy land is well-thought-out and creative. The only down side is that pretty much all of the characters repeatedly delve into long diatribes and explanations emotional blather. I think I could have grasped the characters and plot with a bit less of that, but who knows.

[Mcnaird · Rating 2 out of 5]

A long, tedious book, with little to no action and very slow plot progress. The world-building was sub-par leaving a lot about the world and the people inhabiting it unexplained. Though it is well-written and utilizes an extensive vocabulary, I would not recommend this book.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

standard fantasy fare, satisfyingly wrapped up in two volumes. doesn't break new ground or explain why the main villain is the only one to turn so evil with such great power, but i really liked the main protagonist asher.

[Lonna Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down.

THAT hasn't happened for a while.

A few moments where I thought things might be just a tad convenient but really, very few and easily digested. Loved the dialogue - regional accents, uppity nobles.

Yeah, this was definitely my kind of book.

[Stéphanie Amesse · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't make it past page 75. If you're looking for high fantasy, look elsewhere.

[Seth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Combine these two books and take out a bunch and could have been a pretty kick-ass movie, but that's about it.

[Trent Mikesell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story and amazing character development.