Review: Left Me Wanting More
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 30, 2013
After witnessing the tragic death of his father, Karsen is destined to be the next Lead Pick of Aystin. Unfortunately, he is thrown into turmoil when his half-brother (adopted brother) Petr murders a young woman. Adept Noxyn, the man who engraves Cloudstone, sends Karsen on a journey that will forever change the course of his life.Karsen joins Petr in his exile, but the pair do not make it far together. Instead, Petr proves himself every bit a criminal and attacks his brother. He steals the Ennae (a very important piece of carved Cloudstone) and heads off into the wilderness, leaving Karsen injured and unconscious.Despite no longer having the Ennae (his entire reason for joining his brother into the wild), Karsen does not feel he is able to return home. He decides to carry on and attempt to complete the task that was set before him. Along the way, he meets some unlikely friends and discovers he has the ability to experience events through other people's eyes while dreaming.This story is filled with imaginative new races and a fascinating world rich with history. Not only are there strange children who never grow old, but there are giants and talking squirrels as well. There is a rich, elaborate history behind the races that shaped the world of Tholann as we see it in The Cloudstone Key. There is quite a bit of world history presented, but it is done conversationally and does not weigh down the story. It is woven in rather than being presented in one large information dump. I much appreciated that.The story takes place at a fast rate. Yes, there are places where everyone is just talking, but the conversation always serves to advance the plot or to explain something that has yet to be presented. I could not put this book down. My only disappointment came when the book ended, and I wasn't ready for that to happen. I would very much like to read more of this story. There are immense possibilities in this amazing new world, and I look forward to reading more about it.I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.