Review: A Tale of Two Worlds - My Review
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 17, 2014
I read the first book by Susan Waterwyk, Lantamyra; A Tapestry of Fantasy, a while back and gave it 4.5 stars. When Susan released the second book A Tale of Two Worlds, I knew I had to read it to find out what happens! I was not disappointed.Synopsis (from the author): The Earth, once asleep, has awakened, from deep in her belly come cries; her mountains and valleys are shaken and seas rise up to the skies.”The ancient Keepers of Akosh can do nothing to prevent the catastrophes. They have known since the sinking of Atlantis that the living world of Earth would awaken. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis threaten the people of the Earth so the Keepers spent thousands of years terraforming the primitive world of Lantamyra to serve as a sanctuary for the refugees from Earth. Now the Gathering begins.The dragons that rule the three Great Houses of Lantamyra need the giant myra crystals from Atlantis to strengthen the large array in the House of Gaia Jade to be able to return to their homeworld, Lanluong. The Keepers of Akosh authorize a mission to Earth to locate and retrieve the crystals before the earthquakes bury them deeper in the abysmal depths of the Atlantic Ocean.Recently arrived from Earth, Tylya Lansing has been trained in the Secrets of the Ways and knows how to use the powerful myra crystals. She is now a keeper of dragons in the House of Gaia Jade, and her first-hand knowledge of modern Earth makes her the best candidate to command the mission to find and retrieve the lost crystals of Atlantis.Tylya’s lover, Josh Hamilton is also from Earth and trained in the Ways but chose not to serve the dragons. He is a crystalseeker working in the mine at Queen’s Heart located near an active volcano. The job is extremely dangerous since long exposure to myra crystals causes crystal sickness, and worst of all, ghosts of seekers are hungry for living energy and they wait in the myra crystals to feed on him.What I liked: Susan Waterwyk continues to develop her characters in a meaningful way. You can empathize with the losses and hardships they endure and the sacrifices each of the characters has made in order to allow someone else to follow their chosen path. The role of the dragons tantalizes the reader and allows the imagination to run with possibilities. Well-paced and easy to read, the book will appeal to those who like to think a little while they read.What I didn’t like: There was very little about the book I didn’t like. Perhaps the only issue I had was that I would have liked the pace to be a little faster. I understand (as mentioned above about thinking while reading) why Susan Waterwyk wrote it as she did, but I personally still prefer more action and a quicker story.Overall impression: Susan Waterwyk has crafted an excellent story. A Tale of Two Worlds is an excellent read and I look forward to the third book! I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a little bit of fantasy, romance, and upheaval in two worlds!