Review: Another Thumping Good Read of the First Order!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 28, 2012
Heppner has done it again!  He has produced an amazingly compelling story that sucks you in from the first word and doesn't let you go until you look up in surprise when the book's all over.  This book, just like the first in the series (Giants), is a thumping good read of the first order.  Heppner's storytelling's is split pretty equally between Joash, our young adult narrator of the first book and his companions who become separated from each other due to a shipwreck by a sea monster.The goal of the book is to determine the reason that the First Born, the Giants, the Gibbers and the Nephilim wanted the adamantine armor, sword and shield.  Through many adventures,loss of life and heroics the Elonites have determined the reasons for gaining the adamantine weapons.  The reasons are so perilous that one could bring hell on Earth and the other could wipe everything off the face of the planet.  There is no choice - they must be stopped.When sailing back home they are attacked by a sea monster who was in league with a First Born in on the Plan.  Joash is with Heret and Joash's dog Harn.  Lord Uriah, his sister Lillith the Great Prioress, Aurochs the former pirate, Amery, Uriah's Granddaughter and Adah the Singer from Posidonis all ended up in a lifeboat dodging pirates.  Each group thinks the other is dead so that it falls to them to tell the world of the looming disaster that awaits mankind if the evil one's succeed.  One group will be successful, the other will get caught by the enemy.  The ending again wraps up neither too short nor too rushed.  No cliffhangers, just nicely wrapped up storylines leaving you in little doubt where the next book is heading.  Again, even though I would like to give an extra star for this, I can't possibly because I'm already all maxed out.Again, the characterization was absolutely genuine and three dimensional.  New characters like Aurochs and Idra are fully 3D.  There are no moments when you scratch your head and say WTF as the characters act out of context or just to further the story.  You care about all the good characters, even some of the evil ones are interesting such as Mimir the Wise and the Father of all Giants, Jotun.  The pacing in this book is identical to last - gripping your brain and not letting up for a nanosecond with times of increased dramatic tension.  It is really masterful.  The growth of the characters, or not, is a direct result of their faith, background and suffering.  Joash continues to meet his challenges head on, no matter what those around him are doing.  His girlfriend, on the other hand, was so severely damaged in her earlier life that she finds it easier to succumb to horror and depression.  Herret is a warrior who has rarely lost.  When he's knocked on his bottom like child by a First Born, all he can think of is vengeance.  When the immaturity of this is pointed out to him he indulges in a bit of reality postponement.  All of these are credible behaviors for the characters that Heppner's written.All in all, I would highly recommend the first two books in this Lost Civilizations series to anyone who likes any type of fantasy or mythology, or is just interested in one man's unique take on a phase of the world's creation and growth.  It truly is a thumping good read of the first order.  I am on to book three.  Give it a shot!