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I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Lana Axe transports the reader to an imaginative world where elves
and humans are locked in a bitter war. There were a multitude of characters in this tale and the author
did a wonderful job giving each an individual voice. The characters were consistent in their actions/reactions. There were certain characters that really stood out for me: the elf twins - Reylin and Reylana, Essa - the leader of the sword maidens and my favorite character Mi'tal - the prince's personal protector. The king and his son
Prince Aelryk - the interaction between father and son was intense and in my opinion the most developed.
I thought the descriptions of the world were spot on - I could see
the forest, villages and markets.
The author has a unique writing style. There are no tedious
passages that drone on about inconsequential things. Instead, Axe sticks
to the meat of the story and moves it at a rapid pace. Because it moves
so quickly, there were a couple times I was left wanting more. I like
getting into the characters' emotional muck and I felt as though a couple of the
scenes were a bit rushed.
Overall, I found the story very enjoyable. I was struck by how much of the War of the Wildlands relates to our own world. While we may not have a king waging war on elves and the forest in the name of kingdom building, we do have the issues of corporate greed versus environmental concerns.
