PUBLISHER: Bantam Press
SYNOPSIS:
I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me . . .
Only a handful of people in Silasta know Jovan’s real purpose in life. To most, he is just another son of the ruling class. The quiet, forgettable friend of the Chancellor’s charming, irresponsible heir. In reality, Jovan has been trained for most of his life to detect, concoct and withstand poisons in order to protect the ruling family.
His sister Kalina is too frail to share in their secret family duty. While other women of the city hold positions of power and responsibility, her path is full of secrets and lies – some hidden even from her own brother.
Until now, peace has reigned in Silasta for hundreds of years. But when the Chancellor succumbs to an unknown poison and an army storms the gates, the so-called Bright City is completely unprepared. It falls to Jovan and Kalina to protect the heir and save their homeland – but first they must make their way through a new world of unexpected treachery, a world where the ancient spirits are rising . . . and angry.
This fabulous epic fantasy debut will appeal to readers of Joe Abercrombie and Terry Brooks, Robin Hobb and Mark Lawrence and all points in between.
REVIEW:
I've been hearing a lot of good things from various friends at Bantam about this book for quite some time, so I was more than happy to dive in when a copy landed upon my doorstep.
What Sam brings to the fore, in this her debut book, is a tale that has a lot of the elements that I love in modern fantasy, intrigue, double dealing, ruthless ambition blended with solid action sequences and of course morals that give the characters within not only their own codes but their own outlook on their existence that leads to more than some interesting points of view.
The book is delightfully written with great prose and pace that keeps the story moving, also reflecting on presenting a believable world and when you add into this characters that feel fleshed enough to pass on the street, all round makes this a book that was not only hard to put down but for me presented a title that was so much of a highlight that I'm sure it will make my top five books of the year.
I really can't wait to see what Sam has in store for future outings and if the following match this one for quality and development, all round will make her a firm name on fan's buy lists for quite some time to come. Trust me, get this title now, I really can see the book getting optioned for something soon and personally is a book I can't recommend enough to fantasy fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment