Rise Of The ReaperBy Lorna Reid
396 pages | November 20th 2015 | Ravensforge Books
Can you change fate? What would you risk in order to save the ones you love? Lovers of dark adventure, magic, and following your heart should not let this book slip away.
Can prophecy be overcome, or does striving to avoid fate merely drive you into its arms? Since the day Danny Stone's mother vanished, dreams of dark and strange places have plagued him nightly. Though years have passed, the burning pain of her disappearance still consumes him - as does his need for answers. Then one lazy summer day, Danny and his friends Katrina, Poppy, and Russell discover their parents' long-hidden secret - and their lives change forever.
They enter a fragmented, broken world of magic, blades, and blood in a quest for answers, but the mystery of what happened to Danny's mother only becomes more terrifying - and yet there is hope. But there are other, bigger threats at hand, too, as evil begins to stir and the Oracle's prophesies herald a coming darkness.
It seems that Danny's dreams were only the beginning...
Rise of the Reaper is the first book in an exciting new YA fantasy series by British author Lorna Reid. A perilous quest, filled with magic, blades, and blood. This adventure will make your pulse quicken, even as the shadows begin to stir
This book is truly a thing of magic. The imagery is stunning. The words leap off the page to truly bring the world to life. While the description plays a very firm role is this world building it is not by any means a quick read, though when you get through it, it is an enjoyable story. I think the main mistake the author made was a slow informative beginning. It comes across as, what I like to call, the information dump. This is where an author spends the first part of the book introducing you to the world and trying to give you all the information at one time instead of gradually spreading it throughout the book. It can be hard to get through if you're not one with a patient attention span. There wasn't really that 'hook' at the beginning that has you intrigued.
Once you get through the info-dump, you have a really interesting fantasy story that does eventually pull you in. Patience is a virtue readers. Once the story kicks off there is no longer any dull boring moments. Suddenly the story is fast paced and you no longer want to put it down.
This series has good potential for patient readers. I recommend this for fantasy lovers more in the middle grade age range, though it seems like a story you could grow with.
*Received a free copy from author in exchange for review
Lorna Reid is an ex-daydreamer, geek, and writer, who currently lives in the sunny climes of Scotland, having escaped from Kent many years ago. She is editor and writer for UK videogame site GamingLives, where she talks about and reviews games.
Videogames and an incurable Columbo habit tend to dominate much of her free time, but she manages to maintain a blog in a dark corner of the internet, where she talks about writing, publishing, games, and TV. Although her love for the Xbox 360 has waned, she has and always will be a PC gamer.
She has written several books, the most recent one being Rise of the Reaper - the first in an exciting new YA fantasy series.
Find her online at on Twitter @SketchStone or Just One More Writer – LornaReid.net where you can sign up for her exclusive reader club and get updates on her projects, special offers, bonus content for The Septic Circle, Rise of the Reaper, and more.
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