Review: Beltamar's War
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2013
Beltamar's War by C.G. AylingBeltamar's War takes place on the world of Malmaxa; a planet quite unlike Earth in both inhabitants and lifestyles. It is a world fraught with danger, yet also filled with types of love that mere Earthlings seem to have foregone eons ago for more easily achieved gratifications.Each season, the warrior class of Malmaxa goes to war to fight against the Ancient Enemy. Beltamar is a warrior in this never-ending battle. Ripkira, who has great respect for Beltamar, is his commander in this war. Faroene, a fellow warrior, has come to share her heart with him.He must leave his wife, Daniskir, a renowned Symbologist, and his child, Selene, to fight. He joins his pseudo-friend Adelmar in the battle. Adelmar secretly despises Beltamar and schemes against him at every turn.In the village, Beltamar's family faces a number of heart-wrenching and life-threatening events. Eden, daughter of Ryntam, niece of Daniskira, falls unconscious as she experiences a painful and devastating vision of battle. She is uncertain whether she should share this vision with her family members and her best friend, Selene, Beltamar's daughter. She is only turning six season's old, the burden of the vision weighs heavily upon her mind.Liaju and her twin brother Rethga will undergo their Vision Quests as they pass from child to adult when they turn twelve seasons. They discover that they are linked together in inexplicable ways.Beltamar's War is a colorful journey in another world. The animals there are vicious; the people often brutal, but what you will discover as you travel within this world is that you don't want to leave. You learn the language, the lifestyle, and the beliefs and you find that you yearn to learn even more.C.G. Ayling has crafted a fantasy realm that is beautiful, harsh, and invigorating. The dangers are real, and the adventures grand. This is a world you need to investigate for yourself.