Review: Rose DeWitt Decatur meets Ralph Waldo Emerson
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 24, 2012
The strength and resilience of Rose DeWitt Decatur meets Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."Normally, the Fantasy genre just isn't my thing.  I am quickly learning though, that there is a difference between Urban Fantasy and Fantasy.  Shannon Mayer fantastically combined a little bit of both into this fast-paced, edge of your seat thrill ride which enraptures you right from the first page.  Within a few minutes my jaw was laying on the floor and the craziness had begun-though I didn't realize at the time a war had just exploded around me, sides were taken and lines had been drawn.  I was shocked that I couldn't put the book down and completed it in less than 24 hours.  Poopy diapers from my two year old were ignored....he could sit in it just a tiny bit longer so I could keep reading!The Irish folklore was precisely intriguing and never overdone.  The love triangle was so believable at times, I found myself forgetting this was fiction.  Destinies intertwined, they were altered and their boundaries were fought against continuously which all combined to create the feel and premise of this book.  The characters are so well defined that from the very first page you are vested in their futures and find yourself cheering them on.  The women find strengths they never knew they had and the men are mysterious and sexy....what more could anyone want in a novel??  Yet unlike so many other fantasy novels, this one retains its' believability.As with all of Shannon Mayer's characters, you will find them very dimensional and incredibly well thought out and flushed to the surface.  The two female characters have their love, family, courage, fears and integrity repeatedly tested only to find themselves facing off as enemies.  It was an incredible journey to see these two women evolve with the story.  Their family bonds and love are undeniable, yet they are fighting destiny and what is a good fantasy novel without a fight to change one's destiny?  The two male characters leave you guessing about their motivations right up until the end.  What exactly are their motives; are they good or evil in disguise and more importantly can they be trusted with either the lives or hearts of the women?From the beginning, you are thrown into the real world yet are glimpsing this fantasy world and feeling its intensity and throbbing evil pull.  It's set in the real world, but has the elements of the Irish lore which make it fascinating and plausible.  Don't get me wrong, you have creatures that don't exist in real life, but you really don't notice their physical sense....just the good vs. evil competition igniting all around you.  What you feel are the emotions of the main characters.  It's so tangible at times I found myself holding my breath waiting to see where their actions would take them and what repercussions they would face.In a very short time span, Quinn is forced to face trials that will not only flush out her personal character, but will shape her destiny regardless of her desires.  It's important to point out for her character development, that she is forced into all of this.  If it were up to her, I think she would just continue on with her life as she's known it.  She was happy and content-yet never truly challenged.  Could she possibly have known subconsciously that she had been searching for something? Her love for her sister and mother is both verified and clarified before the book's conclusion. Quinn's ability to remain faithful to someone she hardly knows but feels in her very soul is tested to the extreme when faced with a sexual tension like no other she's experienced. Her ability to overcome her fears and plow through her phobias to save the ones she loves and her capacity to comprehend the extent of her role in the prophecy will leave you breathless.I am so excited this is a series as the ending leaves you ready to take on some new challenges and to explore more of the prophecy.  Shannon Mayer has accomplished something truly mystical here-she has converted my opinion of Fantasy within the context of ONE book!  An author of incredibly depth and perception with the ability to constantly throw you off guard, Mayer is truly talented and a dominating presence in the Indie world.-Just My Opinion  [...]  FB: JustmyopinionNH  @JustmyopinionNH