"Fascinating Fantasy on an Alternative Earth"
This story takes place in the multi-universe, on Gaea, an
alternate Earth. The setting is Atlaua, an island
continent which parallel's the legendary Atlantis. There,
living among the ordinary people, are the psiborn. These
possess varying levels of psychic abilities, and are able
to tape into the khi power, when tutored by the
S'hazons. The S'hazons are a race of demiurges revered for the
past
millennium. They had appeared at the time the ancient Sky
Gods had abandoned Gaea. They had come in answer to a call
sent forth by a grieving priest, Aren Lohenrin. The
S'hazons had filled the void the Sky Gods had left.
Their
memory had faded over time. Most now viewed them
as myth. But as some became disenchanted with the
S'hazons,
the old religion had reemerged, dividing the people of
Alaua. Though her father strongly disapproved, Elinna Serru's only
ambition was to become a Perceptor of the House of
Lohenrin. She, like her mother, was a strong psiborn. Her
mother had sacrificed her ambition to become a wife and
mother, and it had destroyed her. Elinna would let no one
stand in the way of her goal to become a great healer of
her people. First Elinna had to pass the test, which she does with
flying colors, Her potential is high, and she quickly moves
through the ranks in the house. She is tutored by the High
Master and soon becomes a Master herself. It is then that
she
is singled out by one of the S'hazons for special
instruction. She is elated with the power and wisdom she
receives. But there is trouble in
paradise. For most of their lives, Elinna's best friend Hasmonea,
also a psiborn, had shared her ambition to enter the House.
But Hasmonea had now forsaken her power, and had joined the
worshippers of the Sky Gods as a priestess of The Temple.
Mesor, the royal Inheritor (brother and heir apparent to
the ruler) arrives bearing a message from Hasmonea. She
suspects the S'hazons of unsavory motives, and
pleads with
Elinna to investigate. Elinna and Mesor have been fighting
deep feelings for each other for years. Though highly
unusual in the royal family, Mesor too is psiborn. His
reasons for denying his power are very different from
Hasmonea's. Mesor worships no gods, but puts his faith in
his own actions. He believes mankind must forge its own
destiny. For this reason the pair deny their love
for each other, but hoping to open her eyes, he urges her
to accept the challenge. Elinna agrees, if only to prove them wrong, but instead is
shocked to discover that nothing she has believed in is
real. The demigods she's put her faith in prove to have
feet of clay, and now Elinna must rely on herself to
determine
what course is best for herself and her world. Will she
choose Mesor's way or Hasmonea's, or will she come up with
a
solution of her own. Those answers can be found in the
second book of the series, DAYSPRING DESTINY. This is a fantastic fantasy, in which one woman learns
quite a bit more about what she's made of than she had ever
anticipated. The story takes her through twists and turns,
from elation to contemplation. She will make shocking
discovers, and critical mistakes, but if she is to save her
world she must also learn from them. Will she find the key?
If book two is a fascinating and suspenseful as the first
one, the reader will definitely enjoy finding out. I highly
recommend DAYSPRING DAWNING. Copyright © 2003
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted April 16, 2003
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What if ancient Atlantis never sank beneath the waves?
On an alternate earth called Gaea, the island kingdom of
Atlaua is the home of a glorious civilization. For a
thousand years the S'hazons, demigods from another
dimension, have guided the psiborn humans of Atlaua in the
use of the Power. But now the centuries-old peace is about
to be broken forever. An ancient race of gods from Atlaua's
distant past returns to claim the loyalty of her people. As
the Sky Gods and the S'hazons clash, Atlaua's fate hangs in
the balance. Only the Perceptors of the House of Lohenrin,
masters of the Power, can discover the truth about the
warring gods--but will they learn it in time? Dayspring Dawning is the first book in the Dayspring
series. Elinna Serru has long dreamed of entering the House
of Lohenrin to study the Power under the S'hazons. But her
dreams of becoming a healer are shattered when an even more
ancient race of gods returns to Atlaua. Soon the people of
her land are divided and the man she loves challenges her
to discover the truth--which gods are lying?
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