Review: Prepare To Be Captivated By This Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 2, 2012
Yvonne Hertzberger has crafted a wonderful fantasy tale full of great characters and plot.The story begins with Gaelen being thrust into an unexpected leadership role when his homeland of Bargia invades Catania.  From this exciting beginning, Gaelen is faced with the task of unifying the lands while being undermined by a traitor that may be closer to him than he knows.  As he takes his new wife, he must also fight to keep her protected.  Klast, a spy/assassin for Gaelen finds himself on a rescue mission for an abducted maiden which leads him to question himself and his way of living in ways he never expected.  Klast is forced to deal with these questions as he is faced with unfamiliar feelings of love for the maiden he is sent to rescue while attempting to uncover the plot against Lord Gaelen.This story is filled with action, adventure, romance, political conspiracy, and a dash of mystery.  There is an ongoing tension that keeps you turning the pages.  I love how the chapters are kept short, giving you plenty of chances to take a break, though you will rarely be able to read just one chapter...or two...or...you get the point  The author's world is well-realized and, though fictional, is mainly rooted in a medieval setting.  Yvonne Hertzberger has definitely done her research; her world is realistic and believable.The characters feel real, each with a distinct personality.  The author has a background in psychology and sociology which is truly shown in the realism of her characters' actions and the intricacies of their personalities.  She really delves into the characters' psyches.  For example, one character has an extremely traumatizing experience.  Where in many fantasy stories, the character would get over the experience quickly(and unrealistically), this character must wrestle with this experience and struggle to overcome it throughout the story.  Unlike some fantasy books(which is my preferred genre),these characters act like real people.Back From Chaos stands stong as a great stand-alone novel, though the end hints at things to come in Yvonne Hertzberger's planned trilogy.  The second book has already been released and I look forward to learning more about this world in it.If you love fantasy, or just a great adventure in general, you will definitely enjoy Back From Chaos.