"I can't put this book down!"
Together with fey and mortals, Ellysetta and Rain fight to
defend Celieria from the Eld invasion. However, when they
learned that the Eld has been amassing a massive Army of
Darkness, they seek to rally allies from the Elves and the
Danae. In the heart of Elvia, the truth of Ellysetta's past
and future collide. To add to their problems, Rain's bond
madness has begun, and only a short time is left before it
consumes him. I couldn't put this book down! The fourth installment in
the series is awesome. C.L. Wilson jumps right back from
where she left off in King of Sword and Sky and
weaves a brilliant, complex story where she reveals yet
another facet in the rich world of Eloran. Amid this are
two poignant love stories that would tug your heartstrings. The war continues, but more sinister aspects to the Elds'
plans have emerged, and Celieria and the fey alone cannot
hope to fight them off. They need allies, both mortal and
immortal. It's exciting to read about another race--the
Elves--in this richly detailed world, and how they impact
world events. We can also see just how different the Elves
are from the fey and the mortals, how they have their own
culture and ways of doing things. For the Elves have the
Dance, and over the years, important people have called
forth their Song in the Dance, a Song which allows the Seer
among the Elves to see what the future could portend. Rain
as the Worldscorcher is one of them, and Ellysetta is
another. Meanwhile, Ellysetta is in a bind. On the one hand, she
fears for Rain and wants their bond to be complete, yet
this would entail accepting that part of herself that she
believes is evil, that which she has long been suppressing
and denying. However, she truly has become the Queen of
Song and Souls, as she calls forth her Song in the
Dance. As to souls...I have to applaud the author's
ingenuity, for one event links to another. A certain scene
in a previous book that I thought insignificant has been
built with layers of meaning, and I am both amazed and awed
as the author reveals each layer in gradual stages, with
the meaning deeper and more significant than the one
previously revealed. The mystery of Ellysetta also deepens. Although the truth
of her origins are revealed, there is the greater mystery
of what she would become. Yet, even as she fears she would
become the evil she saw in her dreams, Ellysetta clings
firmly to the Light. I like what is portrayed here--that
there are two sides to things, that fate/destiny is not
fixed, but rather, there are several variations of ending
according to the choices we make along the way, and that
there are always choices. I am so looking forward to Tairen Soul, hopefully
the last book in the series, as I would like to know
Ellysetta as she is fully meant to be. Although first-time
readers would have no problem understanding the story if
they start from this book, however, I would advise that
they read the whole series in sequential order in order to
appreciate Ellysetta's journey from a shy young girl
longing for love to a confident young fey struggling to
become a tairen soul who is worthy of her truemate.
Reviewed by Silver Winters
Posted October 15, 2009
|
|
A Novel of the Fading Lands
The first deadly battles of the new Mage Wars have been fought, and victory has been won at a terrible price. As the toll of an unfulfilled matebond and the torment of war begins tips Rain towards madness, Ellysetta knows if she cannot find a way to defeat the darkness growing inside her and complete the truemate bond, Rain will die and she will become the prophesied monster Vadim Maur uses to destroy the Fey and enslave the World. Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Magic
|
