Saturday 9 April 2011

FANTASY REVIEW: Soul Born - Kevin J Breaux

Release Date: 20/10/11

SYNOPSIS:

All Opal wanted was to be respected as a wielder of magic, but her teachers passed her over time and time again. When a mysterious warlord embarks on a conquest to destroy the lands of Illyia Opal seizes an opportunity to step out from the shadows of her instructors and take her rightful spot among them. Tala, an alluring young elf, was banished from her tribe, hunted and nearly killed by the beasts that dwell in the deep forests, but more than anything else she is a survivor. Joining forces with an ancient elemental power Tala finds herself in the center of an unrelenting human war. She never wanted any of this. Flesh like leather and bone as strong as steel Karn, a veteran from the first kingdom to fall, is fueled by vengeance. While pushing ever headlong into battle Karn begins to recall memories of another life; ghosts that haunt his dreams. Through death of soul, their world is born.


REVIEW:

Writing, like any other craft, is one that needs a lot of time, a lot of practice and a good dash of skill to allow an amateur to take it to a level where money can be earned.

What unfurls here is a story that is clearly years in the making. The characters are full bodied, they have their own quirks and perhaps most notably the plot line has an almost organic development feel to it.

Add to this a good sense of pace, solid dialogue and a tale that has obviously benefited from a lot of time as well as good tutorage and it's a story that only needed a touch of luck to land on the right desk at the right time. Whilst Dark Quest is a small independent press they know talent when they see it and have hedged their bets on a quality title helping them to not only maintain the balance but lead the way as a prime example of the authors that they have signed. As such I'll definitely look forward to other titles by them as well as Kevin as he continues to grow in his chosen career as this tale clearly has developed to such a level that its surely on a matter of time until he strikes again.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm always interested in books written by male authors. I usually mix my reads up that way. They have such a different take on things that it fascinates me. Great review. :)

B.E.T. said...

This book is still on my list!

Regardless, the author knows what he's doing and I'm sure it reflects in his work just as well. Good review.