Review: Everything a Fantasy Lover Would Want
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 31, 2014
I am a passionate fantasy reader, and the promise a few hundred thousands words of highly praised prose, complete with magic, mayhem, heroics, elves, battles, and dragons is hard to turn down. The glowing reviews compared these books with other great fantasy authors like Tolkien, Jordan, Goodkind, and others whom I have long-admired. I don't take that sort of praise lightly, and after more than 40 years of reading fantasy literature, I can honestly say that Mathias absolutely deserves a place among those titans of the genre. His prose was crisp and enveloping, quickly pulling me into the world that he created. It was fully fleshed out and it is clear that he has spent a great deal of time on every detail to make it a full experience for the reader. Even the extensive passages and descriptions were spot-on and I hardly ever skipped or skimmed over any of it.I particularly enjoyed Lady Tegra and Phen; their dynamic was odd at certain times, but also fascinating. It was impossible to put the books down, although it did take me a while to get through this massive saga. Near the end, I almost wanted to savor it and slow down, but the plot dragged me on. The battle scenes were rich, the tension and intricate political dramas were just as good as any R.R. Martin complication, and I would be thrilled to read more of his work. It is a true treat to see a new talent on the fantasy scene and I hope this will inspire a whole new generation to enter the genre, just as Tolkien once turned me on to the countless adventures that a true fantasy writer can create. Amazing series - highly recommended.