Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)For the first four chapters of this book, I thought I was reading your run-of-the-mill Sword & Sorcery adventure story. But then suddenly at the end of chapter four the narrative does a 180 degrees that are so shocking and surprising that it boosts this novel into a category of uniqueness that cannot be explained here without giving too much away. All I can say is that the hero is so new, fresh and dynamic that I foresee other authors developing future characters along similar lines. Mark these words here today because after Baltrath many writers will be emulating the genius of Gary Kuyper just as they have done with Tolkien, Burroughs and Howard.
What I further liked about this story is that all the main plot threads are neatly tied off by the end of the book - This is a complete story on its own that doesn't leave you suspended in ignorance whilst waiting for the author to bash out the next one - although I am so impressed with Kuyper's writing that I will definitely be keeping a look out for the rest of the Baltrath chronicles as they arrive.
The book is over 400 pages long and yet in retrospect I realized that not a single word had been written that didn't belong there. No long descriptive passages or incidents to fill up unnecessary space. Chapter one was slightly wordy at times, but as I said, everything written was of utmost importance to the storyline as a whole. In truth, it was something of a roller-coaster ride; first a building of tension and intrigue as we climb to the top, but then non-stop action all the way to the last brilliant page.
The style is easy to read and flows well. The characters are well-developed to such a degree that I literally shed tears when...well that would also be telling too much.
The author has created a world that is - in his own words, "Savage and unpredictable," but even more than this, it is a believable world - It could very well be our own earth a few thousand years ago. Although there are strange creatures and sorcery, nothing is too fantastic or overly incomprehensible. I believe that readers of other genres will also find this novel appealing as the writer bases many of his facts in hard science. In fact, one of the wizard's even states that his magic is merely a form of science that is currently beyond comprehension.
There are no fairies, elves, unicorns or other cute characters in the book, but it does have a powerful dragon entity. Although powerful in physical strength, the great Rava Zool's true strength is his intellect and cunning; his ability to easily manipulate the weak-minded and gullible into doing his will. The way Kuyper has devised and describes this master puppeteers ploys is sheer reading pleasure. Our hero, on the other hand, believes the dragon to be no more dangerous than a winged dinosaur-type creature; a misconception he is hastily forced to revalue.
If you like fantasy - this is a must read.
If you're new to the genre - this is a must read.
If you've never read fantasy - this is a must-read.
If you dislike fantasy - this will change your opinion.
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The Chronicles of BALTRATH: The DARK WIZARDSTen thousand cyclans (years) ago, those who have come to be known as the Dark Wizards fought, defeated and imprisoned the evil Great Dragon, Rava Zool. They were only able to accomplish this major feat by removing the Great Dragon's incredible source of power, his tongue.With the passing of much time, and under the subtle corroding influence of the Great Dragon's remaining power, the Dark Wizards have become divided in their primary purpose and responsibility of keeping Rava Zool incarcerated for all eternity.Now, in order to prevent the impending emancipation of the Great Dragon and the subsequent destruction of all known creation, the few faithful remaining Dark Wizards are obligated to unite their forces with some of Baltrath's most unlikely populace; including the brooding Kithian warrior known as The Son of Zemth.
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