Rising Shadows

As tension rises between the southern and northern nations of the small continent of Exitium in the world of Anteris, the Elves turn to their eastern neighbors, the Humans, for help. They wish to learn the ways of combat, which they are not accustomed to, for they have always wielded a power far greater than forged steel. The Shards of Creation, mystical artifacts of great and virtually infinite power, have always been their prized weapon, but times have changed. They now face the same threat as the Humans: the southern nation known as the Ethula.

Wariel Ritch, general of the Human army, will take upon his shoulders this burden. But when a shadow of a past long forgotten threatens what little stability is left in the world, he will have to leave everything behind to stop it. Medregal Tergrast, an Ethulan king, dead for a thousand years, plans his return to the world of the living to gain back his former glory and finally fulfill his destiny by gaining control of the Shards of Creation. But is he really the threat people make him out to be?

In the meantime, in the bowels of the Human Kingdom, the reign of Dana Crystaloak is put into jeopardy when people around her start questioning her decisions. If she falls, war could break out across all lands.

Friday Featured Spotlight ~ TWR Blog Tour: Blood of the Lost Kingdom

 

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Blood of the Lost Kingdom

Mysterious. Hidden. Sacred. Erabel is the beating heart of Dorcha Wood. And its heir has come home.

Fleeing the man who betrayed her, Fiadh returns to her beloved forest, into its heart, to discover her people. And herself. With the aid of Caelan, an Aos Sí warrior, she explores her birthright, a world safeguarded from the corruption of mankind. There, she learns the history of a mighty race and the vastness of the power coursing through her blood.

But beyond Erabel’s boundaries, men are flocking, rallying to an evil lord who covets the strength flowing in Fiadh’s veins. They have their eyes fixed on the lost kingdom of the Aos Sí, and it’s only a matter of time before they breach those borders and come for Fiadh and all who protect her.

All around her, the world is closing in, as some plot in shadows, and others in the stark light of day.

The Girl of Dorcha Wood

 

Treacherous. Evil. Dark. Dorcha Wood is all of these things. And none of them.

The people of Felmore talk of Dorcha Wood in whispers, if they speak of it at all, fearing the wrath of the Cú-Síth should their words be carried on the wind. Those murdering beasts still roam the darkness of the forest, the last remnants of the cursed Aos Sí, a race of elves, long since vanished from the world.

But to Fiadh, it is home. Haven. A forest whose secrets become known only when it chooses to reveal them. Her life is one of balance until the outside world shatters it.

From the moment Fiadh set eyes on Gideon, the peaceful rhythm of her life was lost. As a new path unfolds, Fiadh confronts the reality of old hatreds, the consequences of things hidden, and the truth of who she really is.

RABT Tour ~ Clockworkers

View tour schedule here.

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Title ~ Clockworkers

Author ~ Ramsey Isler

Publisher ~ Ransey Isler

Published ~ 20 November 2013

Genre ~ Fantasy

Pages ~ 345

Amazon

My Rating ~ 4 bites

Samantha Chablon is a miracle worker when it comes to time pieces. She loves to tinker with them and can usually fix just about anything. Over the years she and her father have fixed even the most tricky of pieces. Sam has no idea how her father manages it, but she never believes his claims of having an elf for a helper, so she just figures he has a few tricks he’s not shown her yet. After her father dies though she inherits his magical helper, Piv. Once she gets over the shock of discovering elves, or as they call themselves, the Kith, are real she decides it’s time to put her plans for world domination into motion.

Let me say this upfront and to the point…Sam is not likeable. At all. Wow. She is obstinate, bullheaded and so completely insensitive to the Kith that I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to beat the crap out of her. She has absolutely no qualms in exploiting the Kith in order to dominate the world market in watches and crush her competition to bits under her single-minded feet. She does what she wants and screw anyone else’s thoughts or opinions. She makes a great villain. I hated her.

The Kith, on the other hand, are great. They’d probably drive me a bit nuts, but I love them. What happens to Hamilton is…I have no words and I didn’t even like him. But, Sam does something that turns that situation even worse (remember I mentioned how insensitive she is?), and I didn’t think that could be possible. I spent most of the book on edge, wondering when the other shoe was going to drop. And it did. Wowzers. However, the ending was a bit too neatly tied up. Sorry, but I don’t think Sam had it in her to do the 180 she did. I wouldn’t trust her again. Ever. Overall though this is a great read that kept me on edge and made me grind my teeth over Sam’s behavior. 

About the Author

Ramsey Isler is an author, software developer, and designer who lives in Los Angeles. He currently writes feature articles and media reviews at IGN.com, an entertainment site that focuses on TV, movies, and video games. Ramsey loves books, anything with circuits and wires, and cats.

For fiction, Ramsey usually writes urban fantasy that blends elements of science fiction and suspense. His stories feature young protagonists that are often unsure of themselves, but they find the strength to persevere when faced with extreme circumstances. Ramsey does not write traditional "evil" villains or black-and-white morality tales; he instead opts for antagonists and anti-heroes who have viewpoints and ideals that pose difficult moral challenges for the protagonists, and the worlds they inhabit.

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