David Burrows (1)

When I first got this book in the mail, as a part of the early reviewers, my jaw dropped. It is huge! I was so bummed because I knew that this was the kind of book with 5 page descriptions of a valley and endless droll over how important the sunset is.
I was so wrong! What a great read. Great flow, great characters, and magic! It wasn't overly descriptive at all....it left some things to my imagination, which I love. A fantasy lover's dream. Bravo! I am looking forward to the next books!

Forget the "show don't tell" rules for writing. Forget emotionally engaging with the characters. Instead imagine yourself sitting around a bonfire with a group of your friends, relaxing and listening to a really great story. That is how it feels to read this book.

What I liked. David Burrows' narrative style results in a much more intense story in terms of action and pace. Instead of exploring the world from inside the mind of one or more characters, you are pretty much told everything you show more need to know and the focus then becomes solely on what will happen next. And next. And next. This book, like the first, is only 176 pages and yet it tells more story than some 600 page novels I've read. I also want to note that it does not suffer from middle book syndrome. If anything it is much faster than book one because there is more focus on action now that the worldbuilding is done. You will also witness more development of the characters as challenges are faced and tension escalates. Heck, even the static scenes are tense. The characters might be wearily trudging along, traveling from point A to point B, exhausted from their last conflict, but you remain on edge because at any minute, something evil is likely to crash the party.

What I didn't like. Normally this is where I write about what I don't like. Not this time. Having accepted this story for what it is, instead of judging it by industry standards, I am not finding anything to complain about.

Conclusion The best way I can think of to sum up this book is with one simple word. Fun. Sometimes all a really good story needs to be is simply a really good story.

Full Review @ Dragons, Heroes and Wizards show less

Prince Kaplyn grows bored of castle life and decides to venture beyond the walls of his privileged life. He has a big family - making him ninth in line to the throne - and longs to seek adventure, test his bravery and cunning. After a brief interlude where he meets a companion, Lars, who is shipwrecked far from home, the perfect opportunity presents itself: a quest. A man named Vastra, whose motives are questionable, hires Lars and Kaplyn to go to an abandoned city built by the legendary show more Eldric, a people of great magical ability who abandoned the world after helping defeat an evil enemy hundreds of years previously. First Vastra, a sorcerer himself, must raise the ruins of the city, revealing it in its splendor and beauty. The discoveries made there begin the journey of the three to find the Eldric and enlist their aid once more.

Quote: "True, the Krell tribes had been defeated years ago, fleeing to the remotest regions of the land, but there were still supposed sightings, and even rumors of attacks."

Although I did enjoy this book overall, I thought it got off to too slow of a start. The set up to the quest itself was too prolonged, and I didn't find myself really reading on eagerly until we got to that portion of the book. The characters are strong, with those to root for and against. There was a definite mythology, with a whole alternate world created. I was interested in seeing the outcome of the story, particularly the ending of book one which had me running to the second volume. show less

My initial reaction on receiving this book was that I hoped that the story was better than the artwork on the cover. With respect to Philip McDonnell, the artwork does not do the book justice and I suspect does not help to sell the book. Sorry, I hate being negative but the front cover is so important.
Gladly the story was better than the artwork. It is basically a quest by three main characters, Kaplyn, Lars and Vastra for an illusive "something" that was left behind by the Eldric after a show more serious war. They are later joined by Lomas after entering a forest and falling foul of its protective forces.
The story has all the elements of a "tolkienesk" story, but David Burrows has achieved this without just churning out a copy. It is well written, the characters are good, the whole fantasy world is well built and it managed to keep me glued to it so I finished it in one sitting.
There are only two complaints. Firstly, the object of their quest was not spelled out clearly in this first book (or I missed it in my eagerness to read it) and secondly, it does not stand by itself as a complete book. The end of this book suddenly appeared as if chopped off in mid sentence and without having the second and third books to hand I suspect I shall have forgotten the finer detail by the time I lay my hands on the next two books. If the others are like this I would recommend reading them as one - much as I would with Lord of the Rings.
All round a great read and I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys fantasy, now I need to find books 2 and 3, or better still a complete volume of all three. (Lost half a star for ending mid breath.......) show less