Tuesday 20 July 2010

FANTASY REVIEW: The Reluctant Mage - Karen Miller

BOOK BLURB:

It's been months since Rafel ventured over Barl's Mountains into the unknown, in a desperate bid to seek help. With his father's Weather Magic exhausted and Lur ravaged by polluting magics, there seemed no other hope. Now this too has died. Only Deenie believes Rafel still lives, sensing her brother in tortured dreams. She also knows she must try to find him, as only Rafel's talents could heal their land. The prospect terrifies Deenie, yet she sees no other choice. But she finds the lands beyond Lur blighted with lawlessness and chaos - and here Deenie and her companion Charis find the dark sorcerer Morg's deadly legacy. As they travel they learn of a dangerous new power in the land. Deenie comes to suspect that not only is her brother involved, but that the evil their father destroyed is somehow reborn. And if she can't save Rafel then, through him, Morg's vast power could once again command their world. THE RELUCTANT MAGE is the sequel to THE PRODIGAL MAGE, and set in the same world as Karen Miller's bestselling debut THE INNOCENT MAGE. With her cast of unforgettable characters, and masterful storytelling, Karen Miller has once again created an irresistible drama of political intrigue and magical adventure.


REVIEW:

To be honest here I’m a huge fan of Karen’s writing and in particular this descent fantasy series set within the Kingmaker/Kingbreaker world. It’s creative, it has all the elements that will please fans of fantasy and above all else it’s the characters that really bring this piece to life even with a huge amount of fantastical elements added.

Add to the mix an author who also has a great grasp of plot pace alongside action/adventure and the reader is promised a real tale to keep them glued to the last page. Whilst you can technically read any of the offerings in this series without having enjoyed the previous it’s a great shame to miss something so special when there’s way too many books that are all the same out there. This is a real quality piece and one that deserves the readers time, attention and of course their finances. Great stuff.

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