Great start to a new saga
341896
Shadow of a Dark Queen is the first book in the Serpent War Saga by Raymond Feist. The action takes place on Feist's world of Midkemia and once again, Feist does a fabulous job of describing this rich and detailed world. Having read all the Feist books up to this one I was curious how new characters would be introduced and how the plot line(s) would change from previous books. My fear on long running story lines is that they become stale and un-interesting after awhile. That is not the case here; Feist continues to weave a wonderful tale that leaves the reader wanting more.

Feist starts off this book by introducing the main characters Erik and Roo. Those who have read Magician: Apprentice will see the similarities between Erik and Pug right away and Roo and Tomas as well. However, it is done in such a way that it seems new and there I not really more than a fleeting thought of the similarities between the pairs.

As with the earlier novels, the character development in this book is second to none. From the very beginning of the book it is easy to care about the characters and pull for them to make it through the problems they face. The journey that Erik takes through this book is one of heart-ache and perseverance, but is not filled with clichs that some `modern' fantasy authors fill their books with. Just for the character development alone this book is worth reading, yet there is also a fantastic plot as well.

There is of course the main plot that being the beginning of the serpent war, but there are several sub-plots sprinkled throughout the book. I will not post spoilers in my review, but suffice it to say the small sub-plots help add depth to the characters and make them more real. Feist spends a great deal of time fleshing out the serpent war progress and making sure the reader understand just how big of an army is amassing, yet does not come off as the sole purpose of the book. When I first started reading this one and realized this massive army was taking form was a little disappointed, in that it seems a lot of recent fantasy novels have these large scale battles in them now. However, this one seems different somehow. I can't make a conclusion because the saga isn't over yet, but it doesn't 'feel' like the others.

If you are contemplating reading this book and have read (and enjoyed the past Feist novels have no fear with this, I am confident you will enjoy it. If for some reason you didn't like a past novel by Feist, I would still recommend giving this one a shot - new characters, new setting, it's a good read. If you are just coming into Feist's work I would recommend you start at the beginning with Magician: Apprentice and go from there, that way there will be no spoilers for you and everything will make much more sense. All-in-all though I highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy novels and people looking for a solid fantasy author without all the theatrics of some authors now-a-days. Very good read.
1176336
I adored the start of this trilogy! I enjoyed the Norse Mythology - which I don't know too much about. I enjoyed Matt and Fen becoming closer - not quite friends, but they seems to trust each other just enough. I like the moments between them. I like Laurie and how she's determined to help and not sit on the sidelines just because she's a girl and the boys feel they have to protect her. I feel bad for Fen and his life, but I love how he tries to protect his cousin. Lots of action, lots of danger, and lots of fighting. I'm eager to see where this trilogy turns next.
4507919
A great beginning to this new series. A small band of rejects on adventures, and mankinds first encounters with Chaos(the warhammer kind).
837205
I absolutely love this story...it is fresh and exciting. There are some interesting developments in this book that just add more depth. The Norse myths is brought to life in an adventure you don't want to miss.  Technical issue here...editing could stand a tweak...not enough to mar but enough to notice. I recommend this book and the series.
1955692
A great follow up to the previous saga. I was a little doubtful at first knowing this was a rehearsal script, but it really reads and feels like it's a novel, you get sucked in until the end.
2527890
Solid start for a new series. This author is a great storyteller and working hard on being one of the master class storytellers of this generation. In this book she introduces a world where good and evil are clearly defined but like our world many people blur the edges due to complacency of greed.

Sir Fallon is a character who seems to be our protagonists but appearances can and will fool you. Cait is one who seems to be a tavern wench and prostitute. when the story ends you might be scratching your head asking how did we get to this point.
716329
I have been caught up in this saga from the beginning.  Yes, you can start anywhere in the line of books, but you feel like you are going home if you start at the beginning.  Loved it.
2777287
Great start to an epic journey. Hopefully future issues will deal with their origin stories. I am looking forward to reading them all!
3256321
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the rest in the saga series.  It was the kind of book that I couldn't wait to pick up and get back to.  Good read.
2924054
In my opinion this is a great start to what looks to be an intriguing fantasy series.
The world the author has created is vast and offers multiple possibilities.  Although the story so far only touches on certain races mentioned in the book there is the opportunity for more to be introduced.
Also the characters really drew me in.  I kept wanting to read more to see what made Hurruq and Qurrah tick.  For the main part of the book they are the villains. The author gives the reader the opportunity to see what made them the way they are.  He also lets us see where their thoughts are while they are creating havoc.  I was drawn in, watching as they develop and start to grow apart, yet still struggling to keep the ties that bind them.
I didn't have any real issues with the book, and definitely enjoyed it and want to pick up the rest of the series.  I will say however that the book IS dark.  Not everything is bloodshed and gore, but a lot of it is.  Harruq and Qurrah do some very cruel and evil things.  Dalglish doesn't glorify it,  but he doesn't shy away from it either.  I can see where some scenes could definitely be disturbing to younger readers and I wouldn't recommend this one to any age group but adults.
This is classic fantasy and I hope to get a chance to read more in the near future.
3921643
There are some authors you read and you think, I wish I could write as good as they do. S.M. Boyce is one of those authors. I've been hooked on this saga since book one, and I can't help but enjoy this one as well. The story telling and world created are amazing. The characters seem like real people, and I love how much Kara has grown in this series.

The thing with this book is that it is clearly a set up for the fourth book. By that I mean that, especially in the beginning, there isn't much forward progress to the story timeline. The opening half of the book felt stagnant and focused a lot of setting the characters abilities and alignments for the fourth act. Once the book took off, it became the fast paced read I enjoyed so much from the first two books.

All in all this is a must read for Fantasy fans, the series is memorable and the writing is amazing. If you loved the first two books, you will certainly enjoy this one.
1414968
Such a great start to a new series! I'm a huge fan of Erik Schubach's Valkyrie series so when this came out I figured I'd check it out. I wasn't disappointed! It grabs your attention right from the beginning and it never lets up. One thing that I really enjoy about all of Erik Schubach's stories is how he is able to build a world around his characters that feel tangible and robust. It's as if the surrounding world becomes an extra character in the story, and in this case the city of Cincinnati and the bridge take on a life of its own. Also he's a master at bringing new life to old mythologies. In this case we get such an unique take on the old idea of Trolls and how they guard their bridges.

I'm also a big fan of strong female characters and Evangeline Kane fits the bill nicely. She's a character you connect with and root for throughout. It's also such a breath of fresh air to read about gay characters where being gay isn't the main focus of the story but rather treated as any other relationship. The chemistry between the 2 female characters was flirty and nicely done.

There were a few typos here and there, but they're easy to overlook when you're engrossed in the story. Overall it was a winner for me and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
4526099
A great start to a new series. I can hardly wait for book two.
455047
Great start to a new series!  I loved Liliana's character. She was complex and I liked seeing her grow during her and Arhyen's journey to find out why multiple people were after the formula that her father created.  I can't wait to see their journey in the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy.
1206056
Enjoyed a great start to a new series. The characters wer fun. There was action and adventure; so definitely more going on than just the couple getting together, and it was a complete book. It did set itself up for the series without ending on a cliffhanger (no one likes the cliffhanger ending; let's be honest). I like Dannika Dark and also the Bewitched and Bewildered series, and this one had elements I liked as well. Oh, and the sex scenes were steamy!
1505803
The scene is well set from the very first words. I was immediately drawn into Ivanore's world and predicament. She's hiding, and the trackers are right on her tail. She barely escapes the ambush, leaving a piece of the crystal with Jayson.

Each of the first three books in this saga are relatively short as are the chapters, and although this might seemed a little choppy at first, with each chapter change comes not only a scene change but also a shift in the character. I really enjoyed this definite break. There's quite a bit going on in this story, and these breaks made it easy to keep track of story shifts and whose eyes I was seeing the story through at each time.

The plot itself is full of twists and turns, and never as easy or clear as things seem. The action never stops,insuring that those pages kept turning and turning--I had to see what was going to happen next. It was easy to fever for the characters. At times, I missed a little more depth in the character's thoughts and scene descriptions, a little more time to breathe and let the surroundings sink in, but this is definitely one for adventure fans.

There's a nice, full cast of very different characters, and each one brings their own past and agenda. Even the 'bad guys' have their reasons for doing what they do, making it easy to hate them and cheer the heroes on. Ivanore and Jayson are characters to fall in love with. They're determined and fight for what they think is right, but also have their flaws. Their love for each other is clear and sweet, and I had no trouble rooting for them as everything seemed to stand in their way. Can't wait to see where their adventures lead them next.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
371137
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of On Wings Of Chaos by Travis Simmons as a member of beck Valley Book Tours. All opinions are strictly my own.

On Wings Of Chaos is another GREAT addition to the Revenant Wyrd Saga. In this part of the series we learn a LOT about the birth of Amber, Joya and most especially Angelica and Jovian. We begin to see their mother in a different way and we finally start to see some real progress in their hunt for their missing sister, Amber.

For me, book 5 On Wings Of Chaos is my favorite in the series so far. I enjoyed learning more about what makes them who and what they are. I also liked getting a glimpse of things that are about to transpire through the visions that Angelica and Jovian share. There are also some MAJOR transformations with Joya and Cianna as well. We see Mag and Astanel working together to save Sara. I love the way Travis Simmons described Mag's transfusion of clean Wyrd into Sara. He took us step by step through the process so well that if you close your eyes, you can imagine it. That is one of the things I love most about the Revenant Wyrd Saga. It is superbly descriptive.

I admit, I was starting to get a bit bummed with this series because I felt like it was starting to drag on too long. 3 - 4 in a series are usually what I like to see. But On Wings Of Chaos drew me back in by giving me some much needed back story as well as a glimpse into the future. I'm ready for book 6!

As with the rest of the series, I do not recommend reading this as a stand alone book. There terminology, back story, etc. really need to be captured from the very first book in order to really make sense of the story and the brother and sisters. So I definitely recommend starting with The Bonds Of Blood and working your way through the series.