I know I said at the beginning of the year that there was less fantasy in my sites than years before. This month, it seems I'm eating those words.
Today's read hit the shelves just a couple days ago and rounds off the Heroes of Havensong series, a epic fantasy about four characters. I have not read the first two books in the series, but when has that stopped me? I'm expecting quite the adventure since this appears to have been getting good reviews so far.
And there's dragons. Who doesn't love dragons?
THE FIFTH MAGE
Heroes of Havensong #3
by Megan Reyes
Labyrinth Road
Middle Grade Fantasy
416 pages
ages 8 to 12
Follow the threads of the Fates to the captivating conclusion of this timeless fantasy series about four unlikely heroes bound together to save their world—and magic itself.
Wren, River, Blue, and Shenli have been struggling to face what the Fates have in store for them ever since learning they are the heroes foretold to save their world. Now Haven is on the brink of war, and the stakes are higher than ever.
River's new mage powers are as out of control as her grief, endangering anyone who comes near her unless she can learn to master her abilities. Shenli must finally confront the impossible decision over the fate of the Lost Ones, as a battle wages between his head and his heart. Finally returning home, Blue, with Wren at his side, sets out to open the closed minds of the people of Gerbera to gain their assistance before it's too late.
When destiny, duty, and danger clash, it’s hard to know if you’re on the right path, especially if it’s one you never chose in the first place. And as the four friends strive to live up to their prophesied roles, none of them know that there is someone out there who believes her sole purpose is to stop the heroes…whatever it takes.
Wren, River, Blue, and Shenli have been struggling to face what the Fates have in store for them ever since learning they are the heroes foretold to save their world. Now Haven is on the brink of war, and the stakes are higher than ever.
River's new mage powers are as out of control as her grief, endangering anyone who comes near her unless she can learn to master her abilities. Shenli must finally confront the impossible decision over the fate of the Lost Ones, as a battle wages between his head and his heart. Finally returning home, Blue, with Wren at his side, sets out to open the closed minds of the people of Gerbera to gain their assistance before it's too late.
When destiny, duty, and danger clash, it’s hard to know if you’re on the right path, especially if it’s one you never chose in the first place. And as the four friends strive to live up to their prophesied roles, none of them know that there is someone out there who believes her sole purpose is to stop the heroes…whatever it takes.
MY TIDBITS
Epic fantasy fans are in for a treat as this rich world of magic holds all sorts of dangers and adventures.
This is the third in the series and takes off where the second book left off. While I hadn't read the first two books, and would highly recommend reading them before hitting this last book, it still wasn't too hard to sink into each character, since the author does a wonderful job at building each one up.
The tale is told from the four characters' points of views. To keep it from growing confusing, each chapter starts off with the character by name, but since each one (for at least a section) is working pretty independently...well, three of them are....the situations that each finds themselves in does vary. While these four have a combined fate, each one has their own journey and problems to face. In other words, this book is all about character growth because these heroes are up against more than the villains. They need to figure out their own hopes, desires, fears, and more. That means that the readers gets to know each one very well and connect closely with them.
Dragons, magic, and more create this world and let it shine. The four heroes are part of an intricate, fantasy world, which is full of richness and danger. The imagination takes flight as they meet one interesting character after the other and deal with dangerous and exciting situations. Yet, there's also calmer moments such as with the baby twins, which make sure the characters come across naturally. The read is steadily paced and packs in enough action to keep the pages turning.
It's a very rich world, and the characters are what drives this story forward. Epic fantasy enjoyers, who love to dive into the realm and join heroes as they grow to meet their destiny are going to want to pick this series up.
And here she is...
Megan Reyes is a children's author who loves writing stories about dragons, magic, and kids getting into all kinds of fantastical shenanigans. Heroes of Havensong is her first series. Megan lives in Northern California with her husband, four More about Megan Reyes
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