Review: Move Over, Tolkien!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 25, 2012
The Sable City is book one in McNally's The Norothian Cycle series.  This book can only be classified as a fantasy for adults.  Now, before you get the wrong idea, what I mean is that The Sable City isn't a "fluff and stuff" fantasy book that the reader can just breeze through with hardly any thought.  This book takes time to read, but it is well worth it!  If you enjoy works by Tolkien, you will love McNally!I had to mention Tolkien, because the author's work reminds me so much of his Lord of the Ring series!  They aren't the same as far as the characters, content, or the adventures that take place, but McNally does invent his own worlds and languages and this book just has that Tolkien "feel".  McNally is a genius!I do love fantasy, and this book took me to places that I could never dream up on my own.  The author has such a vivid imagination.  He has that special talent of being able pull the reader in to explore these wondrous places and characters without pushing his vision upon them.  He gives just enough detail and description to get you started, but I can see that he likes to let the reader make up their own minds as to how they want to "see' the story he tells.This story is a mixture of fantasy, adventure, with a little magic thrown in.  It has many characters, and I honestly cannot pick a favorite, as I loved them all - even the ones that weren't so honorable.  By the end of the book, I felt like I knew them.  Being able to connect with the characters is very important to me and McNally had no problem bringing us together in this epic tale.  The author is not above throwing in some twists and turns and thrusting his readers into the unexpected.  He kept me hanging to the edge of my seat!If you are an adult who loves a good fantasy book, but just can't get into the young-adult scene of vampires, werewolves and the like, then this is the book for you to sink your teeth into.  It has depth, creative characters, beautiful imagery, and a hearty plot.  I am so glad that I have two more stories to read in this series!