Tess M. (duplica123) - , reviewed on 4/9/2010 + 150 more book reviews

This is a very interesting fantasy world and Valen is a protagonist I connected with. I was a little bored with the plot line until about half-way through where there's a big reveal, but for the most part the story carries along at a steady pace. I didn't at first think I'd want to finish the series, but after we meet Valen's sister I decided I definitely am going to read the second, and last, book in this duet!

Now for the problems: It's a book about a man who can sense places and has a magic book of maps. Yet the book "Flesh and Spirit" doesn't have a map itself! There are lots of place names, but no way to reference how they relate to each other.

Same with the names of people and gods - too many names and not enough reference. I don't know why the monks worship one god, while Valen worships many, and the names of the warring princes get tangled together with the names of gods and places in my mind.

The author also italicizes some words that are "foreign," however a lot of her words are already strange, so having a few italicized words doesn't really make sense. She also really over does it with similes.

All in all, after book one, I will finish the duet, but there are definitely things I would have changed.

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