The next book I had the pleasure of reading was The Sword of Sighs by +Greg James.
Synopsis:
Sarah Bean lives a quiet life in Okeechobee, Florida until the day when she is transported from our world to the fantastic realm of Seythe. She meets a wayfaring wizard called Ossen who saves her from the dreaded black riders, servants of a being known only as the Fallen One. Together, they will have to undertake a treacherous journey to the far-away Fellhorn mountain where Sarah must find the one weapon that can save them from the black riders pursuing them - The Sword of Sighs.
NB: This novel is recommended for mature young adults as it contains occasional bad language and occasional scenes of graphic nature.
Title: The Sword of Sighs
Series: The Age of the Flame: Book One
Author: Greg James
Publisher: Manderghast Press (February 11, 2013)
Format: ePub; Mobi (172 pages); Print pending through Amazon Createspace
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Locations Available: Amazon; Kobo; Apple (pending)
Greg James has done it again. He's a phenomenal author who guarantees to take you on a journey. I've had the pleasure of reading his Vetala Cycle books under the pen name G.R. Yeates. His words create a poetic atmosphere that captures you and doesn't let go. He brings you in with such vivid imagery that as you read you see the world he creates playing in your mind like a movie.
The Sword of Sighs was such a book. From the cover of the book, to the synopsis, to the prologue, he grabbed a hold of me and didn't let go. Nice! The story had a Lord of the Rings feel to it in that the story was a grand and epic adventure. I've read stories before where there's action and adventure but none to the scale of what James created with The Sword of Sighs.
*Warning: May contain spoilers from here onward.*
The story revolves around Sarah Bean. She's just an ordinary girl who was chosen to be the savior of the world of Seythe. One minute she's hiding from her foes and the next, poof, she's gone. I was sad for Sarah and felt her loss and anguish as she was just taken from the world she knew into this foreign world that was alien to her in every sense of the word. It was good to know that she meets someone who takes her in and cares for her.
Friendship, love and bonds were formed through out Sarah's time in Seythe. She learns that she has to either place her trust in individuals or be alone and face the monsters in this world. And were they monsters!
As with any epic story that is told, treachery and betrayal is an integral part. Power play is being made as well as bold face lies. As I was reading, I was gasping in disbelief of what my eyes had just read. There were times where I just wanted to protect Sarah and times where I wanted to yell at her asking what the heck she was doing.
Towards the end of the book, I was on edge. My eyes couldn't read fast enough because I wanted to know whether or not Sarah would succeed in her quest. I wanted to know what would happen to her.
*End of spoiler warning.*
I am happy to know that this book is part of a series as I would like to know more about Sarah's life in our world. I would like to know how come she was the one chosen for this quest and why. I would like to know how her story continues in the world of Seythe.
I have to say that while this is a young adult fantasy, it certainly is different than any I've read. Some young adult fantasy I've read have the lead female character in love with her male counterpart. This is usually what defines her, not the fact that she has the potential to become something greater. This is certainly not the case with Sarah Bean. We see her grow as a person through out the story and start becoming who she was chosen to be.
Do I recommend this book? Heck yeah I do! If you want to dive into a fantastical and epic journey of good vs evil, then this book is for you.
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