Review: Great Adventure
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 11, 2012
This was a story that flowed easily from page to page.  Author Arley Cole never fades or ebbs in her storytelling, which is both engaging and exciting.Enith is "The Blacksmith's Daughter" and our main character.  At first glance, a blacksmith's daughter doesn't seem like the typical hero of a sword and sorcery tale.  She pulls it off with flying colors though as we quickly learn that she can wield a sword with the best of the men and that she received special training from her father, not only in the fine art of smithing, but also in swordsmanship.  Later we find out that her smithing skills transcend more than she ever realized.At its heart, The Blacksmith's Daughter is kind of a twisted love story between a man and woman who are thrown together in one of the most bizarre, but interesting, circumstances I've ever read.  Their initial relationship strikes an odd balance between mutual need and personal preservation, but it evolves into more while remaining believable.Peppered with good action/combat and a unique magic system, Arley Cole proves that she can take a traditional fantasy setting and keep it fresh.  My favorite aspect of this novel was the intrigue and gamesmanship that took place between allies, enemies and the competing nobles.  It was reminiscent of Game of Thrones and, for me, it was the best part of the plot.I've read a lot of fantasy novels and this book grabbed me as well as some of the best titles I've come across.  It's not the typical 700 page epic fantasy.  In fact, it's relatively short compared to some others, but frankly I liked that.  Sometimes you just want a good story without having to dedicate five weeks to finishing it.Even though it is billed as a YA novel, I would eagerly recommend it to adult readers as well.