Review: "The Age of Sigil: The Complete First Season"... a great YA fantasy adventure
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 14, 2013
"Age of the Sigil: The Complete First Season" is a compilation of 13 weekly episodes written by 711 Press and Melvyn Riley with Rich Dalglish (Editor). This Kindle e-book was a 726 Kb download and sold for $2.99 at the time of writing this review.Please Note:1.) the author(s) provided me with a free copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.2.) this omnibus was intended for a Young Adult (YA) audience and was indicated as such on its amazon page.Spoilers (general theme)Set in the realm of Austrand, four young teens have had, without their knowledge, sigils (magical images) tattooed on their bodies. Initially unaware of their significance, they find themselves the focus of a massive manhunt by some sinister henchmen. They eventually meet up and learn some of the secrets of their magical markings. They also become aware that a vile necromancer is trying to get an evil entity (The Void) to return from captivity and ravage the land. It seems our four young heroes are the lands only real hope of stemming the approaching evil onslaught.End SpoilersSome thoughts on "Age of the Sigil"...1.) a well written YA story.2.) lots of action that keep our small group of young heroes on their toes to accomplish missions and stay alive.3.) some very clever and inventive magical devices that would easily have found an appropriate place in a more Adult orientated fantasy setting.4.) many heroic saves and help from unexpected places making last-second saves a fairly common occurrence. A technique used with great effect in this YA work.5.) dispatching victims or enemies was done in such a way that was NOT particularly violent or graphic in its description.6.) cover art... a beautiful image with eyecatching appeal. The amulet shows enough detail to stimuate the curious mind.7.) map... a detailed, colored map with names of places and topographical structures that were easy to identify. The map even expanded legibly on my Kindle reader App.Conclusion:An exciting YA fantasy adventure that was extremely well done and would readily appeal to the tween to mid-teen age reader.As a YA work... 5 Stars.Ray Nicholson[...]P.S.I thought quality of writing found here would allow the authors to produce a great Adult oriented fantasy adventure in the future.