Review: Interesting read but with some issues
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 10 24, 2013
Two childhood friends stumble upon a lost ancient race and assassins who want them dead.I enjoyed the many symbols and themes throughout which reminded me of Christianity: light,forgiveness, a magical book, dragon, etc. And what fantasy fan does not like an epic Armageddon-likebattle?The colorful and creative writing flowed. There were several riddles and prophesies introduced.Impressively clever as they were, characters did not dwell on them or pause to wonder as to their meaning. Thus, it did not really matter what they said and I found myself skimming them. If there will be a sequel, this might be something to consider.Though the childhood friendship and budding romance seemed realistic and were quite likeable, other characters were introduced throughout this book. Shifting focus and switching points of view combined with the wide array of characters - some introduced in the last half of the book - distanced the reader somewhat and resulted in underdeveloped characters.This book's pacing was like a rollercoaster. It was slow at first, building the story. Then, all of a sudden,it moved lightning fast. At one point, it took a scary and thrilling turn with a chase scene in caves, reminding me more of Tom Sawyer by the way rather than Goonies. Then, the story slowed down again. So, in the end what should have been a fast-paced thrill ride, a chase by assassins, felt oddly slow at times.After reading the story, I am not sure I understand the title or book cover. There was no ring in the storynor was there a search for any assassin.There is something here though. There is a unique story to be told and the author has shown himself tobe creative.Written for fantasy readers, this was a clean read, suitable for all ages.