Review: Fine Fantasy Storytelling
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 26, 2013
This is a remarkable trilogy and exactly what I crave in an epic fantasy: fully described worlds lush with action, suspenseful cliffhanging chapters, drama and tensions between characters, traditions and cultures. Mathias delivers. This is a massive work you can escape into, putting energy into mastering all of the subplots and creatures. He is an excellent writer in 3 essential ways. This is a great story, centered of course in good vs. evil, showing how different choices affect our destiny. Two brothers handle the discovery of a powerful ring differently. When we break rules we attract evil, a big theme in the trilogy... which is balanced against a similar theme of being misunderstood even when being loyal or enacting secret missions or service. So the story is good, and secondly, the writing of the characters is fully delivered and true to the universe. There are great representations of competing interests, needs and loyalties, so the conflicts, connections and attractions feel real. And third, it's simply well written, with the kind of creative vocabulary that makes both gritty battle scenes and romantic scenes feel like a great story you want to live in. Well done, you'll be sad to close the final page on this grand work.Lots of elaborately believable fantasy elements -- magical hawk, dragons, kings, wizards, princes, elves, lands.