Review: An Odyssey fantasy adventure tale
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 15, 2013
A review by Dorothy A. Bell of L. T. Getty's "Tower of Obsidian" is an Odyssey tale taking the reader into the lives of our log ago ancestors who lived close to the land, heeded omens and clung to superstitions. Right off the bat the reader is dropped into a time when it was believed dragons, witches, enchantresses and sorcerers roamed the earth and lived in the seas. It is a time when paganism, rather than Christianity, is the norm.From Childhood, Aoife has loved Kale. Kale grows up, becomes a great warrior and hero after fighting in many campaigns with his faithful comrade in arms, Aaron, at his side. Aoife assumes, as does the entire village, Kale, now returned from battle a hero, will finally wed her. Aoife prepares herself accordingly with a new dress and trousseau.But Kale, of good family, now a hero, is called upon to wed the widowed daughter of the Duke to perpetuate the blood line. It is a sacrifice that requires Kale to put loyalty before his heart. Of course, in this tale there has to be a villain. For his own gain, the villain would foil this union to divert the blood line, by abducting Kale and selling him to their enemies to enslave, using Aoife as bait to set the trap.Now Kale is held prisoner, tortured, starved by all manor of evil beings, some human some not so human. And the Odyssey begins.Aoife is determined to rescue Kale, not because she loves him, but she wants to find him and chew him out for jilting her at the eleventh-hour. Aaron has secretly loved Aoife all these many years, feels honor-bound to rescue his friend and comrade, Kale. But more importantly he is desperate to find Aoife, knowing her in great danger. All of them end up in an ancient and mystical land, Greenland, a land of blackened earth and caves where the dead roman and the formidable Tower of Obsidian stands, guarded by flying dragons, serpents and a witch. The land is cursed, many a warrior has laid down his life trying to free this land from the witch's evil spell.The spell is broken, with the help of a poor abused and used slave girl, Naguset. But it isn't easy to explain how. Although, Getty guides the reader through a maze of difficulties, superbly and everyone has a happy ending. This reader was tempted to make a legend to keep the odd and difficult to pronounce names of the characters, dragons, male and female, horses and birds straight. If you're looking for a good, rip-roaring fantasy tale with lots of action and strange adventures, then L. T. Getty's "Tower of Obsidian" is for you.