AnnaLund2011

Some books just pull you in and they Will. Not. Let. Go.

Actually, this one grabbed me by the neck and swung me around like piece of damp and useless cloth.

I adored Kendras' voice; a strong and unfailing tribute to friendship, love, and companions in arms. An engaging story, from the very first page to the last.

The unpredictability of it just floored me. On every turn. Actually, there was never any time to regroup and recover, it was just smack, bang, smack again, and wow, ouch, and smack. And bang. (Yeah, there was a lot of good banging in there too. A lot).

It could have been, oh maybe 1500 words longer? But I'm greedy that way. And I've just realized today that there are more words in this series coming soon. So that takes care of that. Good author. *smiles and nods*

This world ? Needs epic amounts of words. Epic amounts. I will serialize my buying of these books.

There is so much more to tell! So much more I want to know, nay, so much more I NEED to know!

One single, pertinent highlight:

"Maybe if you believe in me, I can believe in myself."

And that sums the whole thing up for me. Incidentally, that is also what the whole world is about, what living is about, what everything is about. That's why it hits so hard here, when it's said by the man in charge himself. It hits hard, because it's a universal truth. We seldom see the value in ourselves, if not for the acute vision of those who surround us. We learn to heed their words, slowly, with time.

That's what friends are, that's what they do. Even more so when you stand side by side, sword in hand, your life and his at stake within the next few minutes. That forges bonds that are nigh on unbreakable.

I hate spoilers, so I won't go into spoiler-ville with you all, but GOD do I ever want to. I want to rant and rave about what I felt reading the last line. I want to scream about the perfect pacing of these 26 chapters. (I happen to think that books should be 26-27 chapters long). Perfect.

And, there at the end, I must admit, I have never seen a storyline crisis resolved in this way. Never. Ever.

Kudos, author. You did it again. First you took me on a crashing flight with the luftwaffe, in Skybound, and now you bring me along for a wild, wild ride in a fantasy world of your own making.

I'd love to visit you in your dreams one night just to see what's going on in there.

Nothing short of brilliant, I'm sure. As this book.

Now, please, it's time to feed me more Kendras. Officer. Sylvan, oh dear, yes, Sylvan.

Steel not so much, I was really pissed off at him. But the others?

Bucketfuls, please.