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cosymilko's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book so much. I also hated it so much too. I can't believe I picked up such a good read on a whim and it turned out to be one in a trilogy. Moreover, I couldn't believe I picked it up so quickly after it being published that I have to wait to next year for the next one.
I read the blurb for this book a few times before I purchased it.
A prophecy spoken years ago foretells of a Child of Power who will be born. He will have blue hair and he will destroy the balance forever. The child has been born and Light and Shadow race to claim him as theirs. He lives in the place of Balance where Old Magic rules and in a fight between Light and Shadow the child's soul is torn in two resulting in two babies with blue hair. One is raised in the Light and one in the Shadow. Each knows about the other and they struggle to understand their destined path and how the two of them will meet.
I loved the world building that happened in the start of the story. The book is thankfully broken into smaller pieces; the birth, the initial raising, the boy/man at his coming of age. The gaps in between are filled in with memories as the current plot arc continues. The world building is necessary although at times the difference between shadowdreams and reality can be confusing.
I found the characters to be well built and the choice between Bel the Light Warrior and Losara the Shadow Mage to be difficult. I want to see them each succeed and I want to see their halves united. Gah! I can't wait for the next book. As the first novel by Bowring he's done a great job and it reads as a seasoned fantasy book rather than a first foray.
I read the blurb for this book a few times before I purchased it.
A prophecy spoken years ago foretells of a Child of Power who will be born. He will have blue hair and he will destroy the balance forever. The child has been born and Light and Shadow race to claim him as theirs. He lives in the place of Balance where Old Magic rules and in a fight between Light and Shadow the child's soul is torn in two resulting in two babies with blue hair. One is raised in the Light and one in the Shadow. Each knows about the other and they struggle to understand their destined path and how the two of them will meet.
I loved the world building that happened in the start of the story. The book is thankfully broken into smaller pieces; the birth, the initial raising, the boy/man at his coming of age. The gaps in between are filled in with memories as the current plot arc continues. The world building is necessary although at times the difference between shadowdreams and reality can be confusing.
I found the characters to be well built and the choice between Bel the Light Warrior and Losara the Shadow Mage to be difficult. I want to see them each succeed and I want to see their halves united. Gah! I can't wait for the next book. As the first novel by Bowring he's done a great job and it reads as a seasoned fantasy book rather than a first foray.
adperfectamconsilium's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you very much to the author for sending me an ecopy of this novel.
Prophecy's Ruin is book one of the Broken Well Trilogy and what an immersive and exciting experience it is.
Set in a world where the lands of Kainordas (the light) and Fenvarrow (shadows) are teetering on the brink of another war despite the stalemate brought on by the breaking of The Great Well of Souls.
The book starts with a fantastic action sequence with a memorable battle of wizards who fight to lay claim to a blue haired baby, a child of power prophesied to end the balance of power.
This battle sets up an unexpected chain of events throughout the book as the soul of the newborn is split in two leaving twin baby boys!
We follow Bel as he grows up in Kainordas and Losara in the shadowland.
What I really liked is that it's not straightforward good vs evil. Both boys feel a part of them is missing and this blurs their personality in unpredictable ways and makes them really interesting characters.
There are many members of the supporting cast that are very interesting in their own right and add to the intriguing plot. I especially liked the goblin Trellin and his reactions to being stuck with a butterfly (you'll have to read it to find out what that is about).
This is a fantasy with everything. Great plot, interesting use of magic, various races and creatures, battles full of action, planning and plotting on both sides of the world, the prophecy and the destinies of the boys and what will happen if they meet?
There's a twist that was totally unexpected and set the story off in another direction and then sets things up nicely for the next book.
A well written story, easy to read, packed with emotion and characters to care about. I have no idea what is going to happen next and that's an exciting prospect!
Prophecy's Ruin is book one of the Broken Well Trilogy and what an immersive and exciting experience it is.
Set in a world where the lands of Kainordas (the light) and Fenvarrow (shadows) are teetering on the brink of another war despite the stalemate brought on by the breaking of The Great Well of Souls.
The book starts with a fantastic action sequence with a memorable battle of wizards who fight to lay claim to a blue haired baby, a child of power prophesied to end the balance of power.
This battle sets up an unexpected chain of events throughout the book as the soul of the newborn is split in two leaving twin baby boys!
We follow Bel as he grows up in Kainordas and Losara in the shadowland.
What I really liked is that it's not straightforward good vs evil. Both boys feel a part of them is missing and this blurs their personality in unpredictable ways and makes them really interesting characters.
There are many members of the supporting cast that are very interesting in their own right and add to the intriguing plot. I especially liked the goblin Trellin and his reactions to being stuck with a butterfly (you'll have to read it to find out what that is about).
This is a fantasy with everything. Great plot, interesting use of magic, various races and creatures, battles full of action, planning and plotting on both sides of the world, the prophecy and the destinies of the boys and what will happen if they meet?
There's a twist that was totally unexpected and set the story off in another direction and then sets things up nicely for the next book.
A well written story, easy to read, packed with emotion and characters to care about. I have no idea what is going to happen next and that's an exciting prospect!
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