paperback, 710 pages
Published July 8, 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
When a high-ranking officer gallops into the quiet Mistyvales, he brings a warning that shakes the countryfolk to their roots. But for Aedan, a scruffy young adventurer with veins full of fire and a head full of ideas, this officer is not what he seems.
The events that follow propel Aedan on a journey that only the foolhardy or desperate would risk, leading him to the gates of the nation’s royal academy – a whole world of secrets in itself.
But this is only the beginning of his discoveries. Something is stirring in the land, something more ominous than the rising threat of hostile nations. Fearful travellers whisper of an ancient power breathing over Thirna, changing it, waking it. In the very heart of these stirrings, Aedan encounters that which defies belief, leaving him speechless with terror – and wonder.
The pacing was a little uneven at times, causing it to drag from time to time, and there were more places where things were told rather than shown than I generally prefer, but I quite enjoyed the book despite this, particularly the issues of the flawed, yet sympathetic main character. I look forward to seeing how the sequel(s) are.
