Review: A Good Start
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2013
First off I LOVE the history and mythology of the Seraphim's world! The races, allegiances, towns, landscapes and creeds all mesh together quite nicely into an excellent fantasy setting. Kael Brelgson is, unbeknownst to him, destined for greatness. What starts for him as his first trading journey turns into revelation and catastrophe as he learns there is more to the world beyond his little town of Kelky and deals with the sudden death of a loved one. A lot is revealed in this first book, mostly through flashbacks and lessons taught to the boy by his newfound companions. The world and setting is laid out for the reader comprehensibly and Daniel McHugh paints a wonderful picture of character and landscape.The only problem I have with the book is that while you learn a LOT about the Seraphim's world, the main storyline suffers for it as the frequent flashbacks and history lessons cause it to move terribly slowly. It seemed like a 442 page introduction rather that a standalone novel. It ends kind of abruptly, but it just made me want to hurry and purchase the next book to find out what happens next (which I'm assuming was Mr. McHugh's intention).All in all I really enjoyed The Merchant and the Menace and I will definitely be purchasing the rest of the books in the series. Daniel McHugh has written a very good start to a story bound for greatness, and I'm more than happy to follow along for the ride.