Review for "Dralin"

"Dralin" is the first book in John H. Carroll's trilogy by the same name.
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Windswept golden letters race across the cover. Underneath the title what appears to be a young woman leans away from the viewer, her hand splayed on a wooden doorway. She is cloaked in beautiful rich red and black velvet. You can't help but wonder if she is waiting for someone, hiding from pursuers, or simply being cautious in her explorations.
"Dralin" follows the story of Fraith Joren and his young daughter Pelya as they attempt to find happiness and safety in the massive dark and dangerous city of Dralin for which the trilogy and book are named after. The two lives center around the city guard and its moral compass in an otherwise lawless and hopeless city. Threats come from every direction and those that can save might also bring about your downfall.

What I liked:

• Fraith is a classic moral hero, attempting to right the wrongs and injustices of a world soaked in them. 
• Pelya is plucky if perhaps a little spoiled but deep down shares her father's moral convictions and the desire to right by the world whenever possible. 
• Distra is an interesting goddess. It is hard to truly know whose side she is on and whether she will be a force for good in the future or will work evil in the shadows.
• I especially liked the introduction of the helpful shadows. I find myself wondering if they are a product of Distra or something even deeper and more powerful, especially as Fraith mentions having seen them when he was a kid. 
• I have conflicted feelings about Ebudae. I could see her turning to the dark side of things. Her fascination with blood and death seems to set the stage for her to eventual become the villian. 

What I disliked:

• The characters and writing seem to be flat and one dimensional. There's no real difference in the tones of the characters of even their behaviors
• Alot of the characters seem to continuously put themselves in dangerous situations even when they know full well the danger and what to expect from the encounter.  It seems silly and makes little sense for characters that should have their proverbial heads screwed on straight.
• The same plot devices are used multiple times over but in different scenarios that should rightly not be related like the girls inability to talk about the dragon runes and Fraith's inability to talk about Distra. 

Even with its faults I still found "Dralin" to be an entertaining and easily digestible read. At the time of this review "Dralin" is available for free for the Kindle. "Ebudae" and "Pelya", the second and third books in the series respectively, are both available for $4.99 each. Though I did find a pull to finish the series after "Dralin" it wasn't strong enough for me to warrant the purchase of these particular books given the massive amount of well written fiction for less. I will however be keeping a lookout to see if they are ever discounted. You can find more info about John H Carroll and his many other works at his blog  http://ryallon.blogspot.com/ .
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Four out of Five smilies
Recommended for young fantasy readers and adults looking for an easy read.

Synopsis: "There are many cities in the world of Ryallon that know the touch of despair and evil, but none like Dralin. Towers of wizards rise high into the air, shrouded in the mists of magical smog. Poor sleep in the alleyways, becoming deformed by pollution. Life is short for many.
Throughout all of it, the cunning and dangerous members of the City Guard do their best to keep evil and crime from destroying the citizens of Dralin. Trained to fight in streets that make no sense, they keep wickedness from taking over completely.
A young woman fleeing her past makes Dralin her destination. A young Guardsman with his own dark history hopes to make a difference in a city that is without hope. Are sorrow and despair their only destiny, or can love redeem them? Two young girls raised in this city learn life's hard lessons early. Will they be defeated by its evil?
Underneath the city lie hidden dangers even more terrible than those that lurk in its dark streets. Ancient ruins of civilizations past still hold onto the memories of how grand they once were, while menacing creatures hope for a tasty meal to venture into their domain.
The Dralin Trilogy is a swords-and-sorcery fantasy series following the lives of a few unusual individuals as they desperately try to survive in the sinister city of Dralin."