Tags
adult, epic fantasy, fantasy, jeff gunzel, land of shadows, legend of the gatekeeper, new adult, swordsand sorcery, upper ya
The gorgeous lands of Tarmerria are full of magic and beauty. But the virtually lawless cities contain no shortage of darkness and greed. A land where daily survival in the harsh realm takes priority over all else. But the world is about to change. The ancient prophecies, written during a time long forgotten, just might be true after all.
Join in as unlikely companions from completely different worlds set out on the adventure of a lifetime. A search for answers. A search for the truth.
This book is intended for mature audiences
Blurb and cover from Goodreads
3.5 out of 5 stars
Great idea, great premise, interesting execution, dire need of editing. I liked this book enough to say I’m curious about the rest of the series, but it’s more than a little disappointing because I think if a few things were fixed I could love it.
The third person perspective was close in some places and omniscient in others and that irritates me in any book. There were three or four perspectives that could have been cut altogether and not been missed. In some places the author tells instead of showing and I think there were a lot of opportunities for good scenes that were missed. Mr. Gunzel came up with a fantastic idea, I just feel it wasn’t followed through.
The plot:
The plot was decent. It didn’t drag and for the most part was pretty focused. I saw most of the twists coming, but that’s forgivable. The world building was measured at about just right and I don’t recall any holes in the storyline.
On a side note, it is definitely for mature reader as the blurb states. There wasn’t detailed description of certain things, but this is still not something I’d hand to anyone under fifteen.
The characters:
It has been some time since I have read a warrior-girl type who I not only liked, but who was my favorite chracter. This is one thing Mr. Gunzel must be credited with—writing a human, sympathetic virago. I adore Jade and if I read any more of the books, it will be to find out what happens to her.
I didn’t like Eric so much. He was okay and the early development of his character was pretty good, there was just this thing at the end of the book that has kind of colored my judgment since.
There is a demon hybrid with exceptional villain potential and his puppet master with even more. The more I think about it, the more I consider downloading the next book.
I did yearn for a fat red pen when reading this book. I saw lots of ingredients for a good fantasy, there are just a plethora of flaws that badly need weeding. This is one I hope the author will consider reediting and re-releasing, because it really has potential.
Inkspelled Faery 
Great review. It can be very annoying when a book needs a lot of editing. Authors need to know so they can have a chance to do the corrections and have a better book. Well done, elisabeth.
sherry @ fundinmental
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I agree books are a team effort. Writers need great editors and cover art to make a project thrive. Maybe next time they’ll hit the mark. 🙂
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
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