Review: A GOOD AND INTERESTING BEGINNING...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2014
This book reads like a modern version of THE HOBBIT.  It has a stronger emotional connection, a simpler goal (to begin with, anyway) and one simple, basic enemy. The writing is simple, direct and basic.  The hero of the story, young Raf, is living with his sister after losing both parents to a troll attack.  A dreadful plague has since hit the precinct and the sole holders of the cure are the trolls, who live in the Black Mountains.  Despite growing up small and weak boned, Raf develops his own weapons, gets laughed at and humiliated by the local village chief, but when his sister goes down with the plague, young Raf decides to bite the bullet,  and steal the elixir from the trolls.On his own.The book improves as the reader progresses.  Characterisation has not really had a chance to shine by the time Raf leaves on his quest as the only people we have met in the story are Raf, his sister, and some of other the locals.  I cant wait to find out how episode one of this trilogy finishes.  One assumes it does so on a cliffhanger, as episodes two and three are due out in a few days.  I am off now to see how this part finishes, so i can go straight on to part two.Three stars for this early effort.BFN Greggorio!