We get introduced to a world and a setting that seems more like a Dungeons and Dragons adventure
934521
The book wasn't for me. I can overlook the typos and repetitive words as another reviewer mentioned. Nevertheless, it does make me question whether the author used an editor or spent time reviewing his work. We are introduced to a world and a setting that seems more like a Dungeons and Dragons adventure. Even the ending of the book seems to transition to the next gaming session. Again the book didn't resonate. Maybe it will for others.
4898174
Install creates a new world of magic that is gradually revealed as his young protagonist grows in knowledge and experience. Character s that you care about and an engrossing plot keep you reading.
4208369
Andy is just an ordinary kid ignored by his parents until one day when things are anything but ordinary. The school day is spent trying to explain the unexplainable that seems to happen only to him.

A few trips to the principal's office and a weird day over Andy finally gets to head home to face the consequences. They have just started when he is suddenly pulled into an unknown land. Soon he is finding out about magic, meeting a king and discovering a curse he may be the answer to breaking.

He ends up on an adventure with a new found friend to find the cave of the fiercest dragon in a part o the land controlled by evil. Let's just say it's not how Andy expected his day to go. Weirdest thing about it is this all seems like where he is supposed to be and what he is supposed to be doing.

The book builds a great world, an intriguing story and a lot of unanswered questions for Andy as well as the reader. When you reach the ending it assaults you with an unexpected twist leaving you wanting more. Luckily there is much more to the story in future chapters and I myself am on the way to finding and reading them.
4798739
I was as excited by the reboot of Dark Sun as anyone else that's become a fan of 4e but grew up using the earlier versions of D&D.  Dark Sun stood apart as a truly unique setting, spared the Tolkein-esque or medival tropes of what Elves, Dwarves and other races and classes should be.  Some of my best adventuring memories as a teen come from Dark Sun, so having the setting available to run and play in 4e was a welcome respite.

I was aware that most folks didn't like the conclusion of The Cerulean Storm, and not surprised when the setting picked up with a slightly different starting point.  What I was surprised by was the unending parade of editing errors and general weakness of this book compared to the earlier works.  I've read other stuff by this author, so I was expecting a story where the characters were developed enough to care about vs. a laundry list of monsters and game mechanics.  Books about campaign settings shine best when the setting details fade to the background and are used to offset our expectations.  The setup in this novel is very... mixed.  It feels to me like the author was going for a storyteller voice, but couldn't quite get there.  I'm not a pro, and I acknowledge that writing professionally under the constraints of a mass market paperback are beyond me.  This book was readable, and eventually I got used to how it flowed, but it really needed a stronger editor or it needed to be broken down into a couple of books, probably a trilogy to fit the expected flow of D&D books.

I wouldn't recommend this to folks who know nothing about D&D books, but if you'd like to get your feet wet in the latest incarnation of Dark Sun, it's worth getting.
558530
A lot is going on. A lot of interesting things going on. The world they've built for us to look in on is worth our time and makes you want more
4328083
The alternative world the author has built is interesting and exciting. The Other Earth draws a history of another timeline of the Earth, enriched with misteries and magic. The secret sun steel sword appears  also in the other stories. I liked the way that the abilities of the trapped souls help Omar to win in dangerous situations.

The main character is well drawn, though the story was too short to really root for him. I would have liked to see more details about the other characters' motivation, desires.

The story is a quest, an adventure to find Ysland and its precious treasure. During the journey the travelers face danger and death, which makes the novella compelling. However, at the end I was little disappointed, because I could not learn why Omar wanted the sun steel so desperately. The story did not feel closed, as a whole one.
4491776
It took me a little while to grasp the nature of this setting. It's definitely science fantasy but at first I wasn't getting how really fantastic it was... how strange... and how much potential it had. Though I'm not likely to use it 'as is'... I tweak most settings to suite my tastes... there is a lot here I CAN use... and I can definitely see using the setting as some alternate-Earth, possibly in a game of Luther Arkwright.
932112
I became immersed in the mysterious world created by Wyld. There is a sense of menace and also some mystery about the central character & the location. Not sure whether the ending gives the reader quite enough resolution though.
938216
This is the second book in the series I have read from the author.  The first was Salvations Dawn.

I think I realize, upon the second time around, just how intense the dungeons and dragons mindset is.  Once again, there is a very heavy dose of world-building, where characters speak of battles fought, and of very particular powers of each species, wondering how such powers adapt and change when in combination with other powers or against certain species. This second time around, Im afraid Ill have to confess I am probably not among the target readers for this book.  I love epic fantasy, but this series by this author certainly notches dungeons and dragons folklore up to a stratospheric level.

How is the story? I liked the premise better than Salvations Dawn, which seemed to make the case for preventative warfare and had a reluctant villain who didn't emerge until he was hunted down. Here, at the outset was a murder mystery, a whodunnit, if you will. However, two things seemed to get in the way of the story-telling; one, the volume of discussion and strategizing by the heroes of the story, trying to think three steps ahead and with more world-building thrown in; and two, some bizarre hair-splitting obsessions by the heroes that are surprisingly vital to the resolution of the story (i.e. Are two villains with similar names one and the same being, are they possessed by a spirit? Is a extraordinarily skilled busybody warrior, who is always drawn to popping up along with the mystery, a friend or foe? Is the heroine in fact the key to a powerful myth, or does the key lie somewhere else?)

For dungeons and dragons dedicated fans who would love to debate the distinction between a serilis-rir and a serilian-rir, I am certain this story would delight them.
4010899
This second book in the series felt more like a bridge between.  The best part of the story for me centers around the human friends which really isn't a bad thing, just seems kind of odd considering the main storyline. I love the characters and the world developed in this series and cannot wait to see how it all plays out in the next book.
4500438
I received an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

The Hidden Face is a fantasy novel set in a world where empires begin and end with the appearance of The Face of the Akhen every few hundred years or so. The various cultures that populate the lands are more influenced by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern empires than the more common medieval setting of most fantasy.

We start the book with main character Dayraven finally returning home years after being made a goodwill hostage to ensure a treaty with a hostile nation. We also see Halakh, his former mentor being murdered in pursuit of a secret he's been keeping.

All in all it's an interesting and intriguing setup but, while I enjoyed it, it didn't quite work for me as much as I'd hoped.

There's a few reasons for this, the first being that a lot of the backstory and relationships are introduced by characters remembering back to the last time they saw each other. As this is all in the early part of the book it becomes a little repetitive and needed a little variety.

Added to that, there's only two female characters; Sunniva, who we initially meet disguised as a soldier before she quickly falls in mutual lust with Dayraven, and Malombra, the dangerous but beautiful woman that no man can resist.

There's plenty of puzzles to be solved in order for Dayraven and Sunniva to progress in their quest, but as a reader we're not involved in solving those puzzles, just observing as Sunniva and Dayraven pluck stuff they've been taught out of their memories and make logic leaps from there.

With this being the first in a series, while we reach an endpoint there's obviously a lot that's left open and unresolved for future volumes.

Finally, there's a lot of standard fantasy tropes here - senile emperor with a sinister assistant, orphaned hero, disenfranchised son, prophecy of a returning chosen one - some of which are used with a little more inventiveness than others.

In summary it's enjoyable but a little frustrating. I'm interested in the world and The Face of the Akhen enough to want to know more, but I'm hoping for more character and depth as the series continues.
2497789
I enjoyed reading this, mainly because I enjoy the fantasy genre and the Dungeons and Dragons aspect of everyday people being placed into that world.
3771685
There is a lot going on in this story, so it keeps you on your toes. The coolest parts of the book are those that introduce you to things like banshees, pixies, dragons, and so forth. You learn how some of these came to be in the first place. Everything that happens in the magical world is layered with twists, great story, and interesting characters. The story starts in the regular world. The main character is a high school boy that is not your normal hero. He is bullied and isn't the kind you would normally entrust to save anybody. Then he learns he has magic, and the story picks up the pace instantly. He doesn't have normal magic either which is an interesting take. He has warped magic which is supposed to be some scary stuff. The only reason he finds out is because people are hunting him. Warped magic isn't allow to stay around because they don't play by the normal magic rules. You learn some about warped magic in this book, but it seems there is still much to learn in the hopeful sequels. Add to the allure of his magic that he gets a dragon to tag along with him, and you have a pretty fun read. I recommend this book to anyone though it does seem well suited for the YA crowd. I guess you would call it fantasy though it does go back and forth between the real world too. It's a great, quick read. I look forward to the sequel.
603211
This book definitely did its job when it came to taking the reader to a fantasy world filled with wonders and great adventures.

The plot is unique and very different from any I've read before. When you read certain parts, it almost feels as if you're watching a movie instead of reading a story. However, I did feel as if there were parts of the story I would have liked for the author to develop more since I found myself a little confused at times. And I would have liked for more backstory on some of the characters as well.

But the originality of the characters and the story itself. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author
1939254
I am generally not a fan of fantasy novels, but I had heard good things about the World of Prime series and decided to take a look. Its premise is enticing: An Arizona mechanical engineer suddenly finds himself in a world of magic, monsters, shape-shifters, medieval privilege and seemingly endless war, and he must try to figure out how to get back to his wife, home and time. I don't want to give away much of what happens in this book, the third in the series. Indeed, this book has been my introduction to the World of Prime, but I have gone back and taken looks at the two previous books in the series: "Sword of the Bright Lady" and "Gold Throne in Shadow." I can tell you that M.C. Planck's writing has improved over time. In this book, there some fine moments of dark humor amid the tension, grimness and desperate battles. Meanwhile, Christopher Sinclair's penchant for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time is still very strong and keeps stirring  up a lot of trouble that others must help him fight. Now leading a powerful army, Christopher has advanced in rank (to war priest and beyond), and so have some of those who are loyal, semi-loyal, or ultimately disloyal to him. And rank does indeed have its privilege--and likewise can be a source of conflict and confusion--in this strange world. I had heard that the World of Prime books were supposed to constitute a trilogy. But I can tell you that the ending of "Judgment of Verdant Court" has some surprises. And a way is left for Christopher's story, and the series, to perhaps keep moving in some direction. Bottom line: "Judgment at Verdant Court" can be absorbing and entertaining reading, even if you are not generally fond of fantasy novels. However, I am still not ready to declare myself an avid fan of this genre. despite M.C. Planck's good writing. (My thanks to Pyr Books for providing an advance review copy.)
4024825
"Unveiling the Sorceress" is set in a land that feels rather like ancient Persia with slaves, empresses and concubines (as well as names and places that sound rather Persian). Elishiba is the daughter of the Emperor of Aleem, a country that has often been threatened by its neighbour Karseedia. Elishiba understands that to safeguard her country she needs to make some kind of an alliance with Karseedia and has agreed to a betrothal with the Emperor, Hanrah. The story follows Elishiba as she welcomes the delegation from Karseedia who are to prepare her in the courtly manners and behaviour of Karseedia before returning her to that country for her wedding to Hanrah.

Things aren't all as they seem, however. Hanrah is a rather ineffectual emperor with his mother, Mehmet, really in charge of the country, assisted by her evil sidekick mage Sibias. Hanrah has no desire for the wedding with Elishiba as he has another love, one who is under threat of death, and Elishiba finds that a member of the Karseedian delegation has attracted her attention. Amshazar is also known as 'the Nomad'; he arrived in Karseedia some time ago and worked his way up to advisor to Hanrah and yet he is clearly an unusual man.

As the story moves from Elishiba's palace in Aleem to the journey and finally to the palace in Karseedia we learn more about sorcery, the skills that both Amshazar and Sibias have and that Elishiba is beginning to discover in herself. There is intrigue amongst the slaves, the evil Mehmet has a trump card in which to have her way, and Hanrah's weakness seems likely to mean that he will have to submit to his mother's choices for him and his kingdom. Yet there are more powers involved in the struggle between Aleem and Karseedia than the individuals on the ground know, Amshazar's very presence there is part of a plan by the gods, and his and Elishiba's relationship may be a pivotal part of that plan.

The setting of this book was very engaging with the different lives of the Emperors and Empresses, with their servants, guards, warriors and concubines. The magical element wasn't overpowering in the book, much of the plot instead revolved around political machinations and Elishiba's own learning and understanding. Elishiba is a great heroine with pluck and sympathy and care for others as well as the ability to learn and grow and to trust when trust must be difficult. The relationship with Amshazar sometimes felt rather rushed with their connection being based on a few scorching looks rather than actually knowing each other, but this was a relatively short novel and perhaps didn't have the time to delve more deeply into their feelings.

There were perhaps some rather pantomime-level villains in Mehmet and Sibias who fulfilled all the traditional roles of evil characters without any different characteristics to make them seem more believable. However the overall story was enjoyable and the setting added considerably to that, the political elements were never boring and Elishiba and the other main characters usually very interesting. Amshazar's tendency not to speak directly but to offer Elishiba riddles was a bit annoying but she didn't seem to mind, perhaps that added to his allure and mystical nature. This is a good read in the fantasy genre with sensual overtones but a decent, solid plot underpinning it.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, [...]  Helen Hancox 2007
3943019
(No spoilers)
This is a world-building volume where you are introduced to a world where there are plenty of adventures.  This is not a story for those who like cozy adventures (it says something about this particular world that goblin abduction is the least of the peasantry's worries and this book still reads convincingly like a horror novel).  The protagonist (but not necessarily the viewpoint character) is aptly named, and the book spends the time building the world and his place in it.

Again, this book has elements of real (nonsarcastic) horror presented as a daily ritual.  This is not for young children (<10), but the writing is very much worth reading at any age above that.