Review: Great epic fantasy read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 15, 2011
John Deskata, the heir to House Deskata, has been exiled. Matilda Lanai (Tilda to her friends) and her captain go on a mission: to bring back the heir and save the House they serve.I loved Tilda from the very first moment McNally introduced her. She's a tough little thing and you learn very quickly that this young girl can take care of herself. Which is a good thing if you're going on a mission to find a missing man. Unbeknownst to her at the time, the search for John Deskata would lead to the fabled city, the dark city, the city called Vod' Adia. Only visible for about a month every 100 years, it lures adventurers in with the promise of riches beyond their wildest dreams. Along the way, Tilda will find herself allied with a strange motley of characters: a wizard, a soldier, a Duchess, a healer, a samuri warrior, an enigmatic woman, and a priest. Together, they will have to brave the Sable City and the evil that lurks there in order to help John Deskata to get back in time to save his House.If you like epic fantasy, you'll enjoy this first of the Norothian Cycle. Sometimes the book seemed to slow a little with all the back story but the importance becomes obvious later on as the reader gets further into the book. And as the first book of the series, there's a lot of ground-work to lay down. The world-building and characters are amazing. You find yourself cheering them on as they fight for their live and biting your nails hoping they all make it through. I have to say my favorite character is a toss-up between Tilda and the beautiful, yet mysterious Nesha-tari.I look forward to reading the others in this epic fantasy series. Keep your eyes peeled for reviews of those in the future