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Shadows & Starstone (The Immortals #1)
Shadows & Starstone (The Immortals #1)
Cheryl S. Mackey | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
To start off a new fantasy world within a novella is a very brave thing to do. So often, you need an epic novel due to the amount of world-building that you need to do. Somehow, Cheryl Mackey has managed to build a world, complete with history, within a very short space that is not lacking in any way!

Our four heroes battle against evil and their memories. You get glimpses of their pasts which will intrigue you and leave you wanting more. A lot is answered in this novella but it is Part One so you are left with teasers for the next book, none of which I will mention so as not to spoil it for anyone.

If you are dipping your toe into the genre of Fantasy, or want an atypical fast Fantasy read, then I can definitely recommend this book. In fact, I would recommend it to all Fantasy fans.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 5, 2015
  
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV
2016 | Role-Playing
Epic
This is the first Final Fantasy I've played since X-2, and I was worried it had changed too much for me to like it anymore, but my worries were unfounded.

This is a fantastic game. Not for people who don't like RPGs, but if you love side quests and epic stories, then this is a great game to play. The world itself is immense, the effects are brilliant and the game play time is very worth the money. Although I've finished the main story, I still haven't finished all of the side quests!

My only negatives about this game is the dialogue and the ending. Playing lots of side quests etc means the talking gets very repetitive. And without giving anything away, the ending was just beyond depressing.
  
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Maddie (37 KP) Nov 16, 2017

Ugh, I'm about two chapters away from finishing this game and I am SO not ready for the end. The story has emotionally damaged me enough as it is! The game is super fun to play though, so kudos to Square for at least making it worth the many year wait.

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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Silverthorn in Books

Nov 25, 2019  
Silverthorn
Silverthorn
Raymond E. Feist | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
When Princess Anita is poisoned, Prince Arutha needs to find the antidote but to avoid suspicion must do so secretly. Assembling a small band of his most trusted companions he heads off to search out Silverthorn, the only known cure for the poison.

Magician was a sprawling epic fantasy tale, spun out of role playing sessions with its own self contained story. In itself it is impressive but in coming up with the sequal (and the third book to make them a trilogy) Feist really shows his flair for story telling. This book is a self-contained quest in its own right but also part of a bigger whole, a feature that would result in a very long series of books.

And what a story it is. Again influenced by the Friday night role playing sessions our heroes are a varied band, each with their own strengths, who must use all their skill and abilities to discover and return the antidote. But what they discover on the way reveals a much more powerful threat to the Kingdom of the Isles.

The characters are strong and likeable, the set pieces enthralling and well written. Okay so it's not stunningly original relying on a lot fantasy tropes and owing a huge debt to Tolkien but it is rarely derivative, always taking its own path so this doesn't detract from it in the end.

This trilogy of Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness At Sethanon form an almost perfect epic fantasy trilogy that for my money is just as essential as The Lord Of The Rings for fantasy buffs.
  
OU
Once Upon a Winter's Night (Faery, #1)
Dennis L. McKiernan | 2002 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Makes you think (2 more)
Vocabulary
Riddles
But of a mary sue (1 more)
Sometimes drags
This is a good book based on a Norse fairytale. The main character is a bit of a Mary Sue. But it does have some deep subject matter. I'd file it as a winter book. Makes you think and can challenge some views.
The book can be somewhat draggy, as an epic fiction it's alright and doesn't kill itself in. Purple prose.
It's a good book if you want to expand your vocabulary or have High School assignments that are like "pick a book and write the sentence when it uses a word you don't know." Or was that just my english class? Anyway, I'd say it's good for ages 14 and up if they are tired of the kids section and not ready for the bloody. hardcore adult or too snooty (or hate the love triangles) for the ya fantasy. Its pretty easy to follow so if you want to put your toe in for epic fantasy but aren't sure if you want to start you can start here. It's part of a series but can be read alone.