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An odd figure stands against a glaringly white background. He wears a double breasted purple pinstriped vest underneath a heavy coat. An odd striped hat is squashed upon his head. He seems set in fluid motion. His left arm sweeps out holding a crooked staff. He holds up his right hand and peers through the circle made of his thumb and pointer finger pressing together.
The secret vale of Eryi is the world's last hope against the evergrowing threat of Chaos. Deep within the sheltered dome a young woman hurries across the cobblestone streets of her village, racing against the night, towards the warmth and shelter of the local tavern. Tabitha Serannon is a simple girl, a singer, a truthsayer. In the shadows of the night everything changes when she witnesses the kidnapping of a local toddler. Unable to rouse help she chases after the kidnapper herself. She manages to save the child but the terrifying encounter will haunt her. Tabitha is suddenly catapulted into a battle between Light and Dark with the enigmatic and handsome swordmaster Garyll Glavenor and the weird witty trickster Tadwry Zarost, as her companions in a journey to find the wizard and save Eryi.
What I liked:
- The world and character building were top notch, from the detailed mechanism of Oldenworld's magic to the deep and sometimes convoluted inner workings of the character's themselves.
- Tabitha Serannon is a perfect heroine with a strong guiding moral fiber who slowly grows in the confidence of her powers and abilities as the journey progresses. She makes mistakes along the way which makes her even more real to the reader.
- The complex tangle of Light and Dark magics is intriguing, the idea of the Lifesong and Tabitha's innate singing ability is beautiful, the verses themselves are equally compelling
- The everpresent theme of balance that threads through everything.
- I loved that this was a longer book. I was able to fully immerse myself in the world and the characters night after night without interruption. The ending came at the perfect time, not too soon and not to late, a perfect breathing point.
What I disliked:
- I kind of found the use of some of the town names a little odd and too easy like the leper colony as Rotcot. I mean, really?
- Our villain was sometimes a little too villainous... and hearing it from his point of view only made it that much worse.
- As much as I enjoyed the ever abiding true love between our characters, I couldn't help but find his betrayal near the end a little distasteful and ...honestly, weak.
- I think the Seekers had to be a little dense not to figure out the true purpose of the ring and the search for the wizard. I thought it was pretty easy.
Epic. Sprawling. Just two of the words I could use to describe 'The Riddler's Gift'. Full of fantasy, magic, treachery, intrigue, love, and vice the book is an ode to the tentative and sometimes perilous hold we have on the balance of all things in life, Light and Dark, Order and Chaos, Love and Hate. 'The Riddler's Gift' is currently available for $2.99 on Amazon.Well worth every shining penny. Don't wait, go out and get this one. I doubt you'll regret it, I certainly haven't. You can find the second book in the series, Second Sight, for $5.99. Its a little pricey but I think considering the quality of the first book and story, I imagine it will be worth it as well. You find out more about the books and the author at www.greghamerton.com
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5 out of 5 smilies
Recommended for mature readers only due to a few graphic and sometimes mildly grizzly scenes. If you enjoy sprawling fantasy epics you'll love this one.
Synopsis: "A shadow steals across Eyri. One by one, the Lightgifters are snuffed out. When darkness strikes her family, Tabitha receives a dangerous legacy. Soon the Riddler walks beside her, but is he on her side?
The more she searches for answers, the further into treachery she is led. The more she tries to flee, the harder she is hunted. And the more she sings the ancient Lifesong, the more the world begins to change.
Can she grasp her gift before the darkness captures the last of the light
"In a darkening realm, which is better: the power to save your love, or to save your love from power?" "
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