Review: The Longer You Read It, the Better It Gets...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 4, 2014
When it comes to fantasy, I'm more accustomed to either made-up or ancient gods in a world of magic and fighting between the forces of good and evil. But this book felt fresh to me as a fantasy fan, because this is my first time reading a novel with a real, modern religion as a heavy basis for the story. That took some getting used to in the first half of the novel, but I eventually adjusted and just thought of it like an ancient tale, except A.D.It felt a little slow going in the beginning, setting up the story and having the two main characters repeatedly thinking the same thoughts about each other and their new situation. But after the council arrives at the farmhouse, we get some more backstory that gives us clues about events down the line (and in the past) and things start to really pick up.I liked that this book didn't take place completely in one world or another but was a crossover of very different and distinct worlds. The fantasy novels I enjoy the most include a world (or several) hidden within our own or in parallel to our own...Percy Jackson, Pendragon, Harry Potter...all book series I've enjoyed over the last few years with that element.One of the things I appreciate most about Seal Of the King though, is having a female character who's truly the main character (in this case, co-main character) and can hold her own at the forefront of the story. I've been a fan of having stronger females in action/adventure/fantasy roles since I was a teenager, so I'm always excited when I come across a story containing one. Aurora's no pushover: she's battled hardened and finds it hard to trust, but she's not so cold and rigid as to be unapproachable. She still has identifiable elements that make her human (and feminine). And her partner David is exactly the kind of humble, approachable guy you'd want a destined leader to be.Disclaimer: I received this book as a gift. The opinion expressed above, however, is honestly and completely my own.