An action-packed tale of magic, mystery, and political manipulations…
The second part of Four’s Far Forest Scroll series is darker and, in many ways, more touching than its predecessor. The Knights and squires departing Castle Liberum for a tournament of nations are in high spirit. But their spurious emotions quickly evaporate, as a journey meant to unite the fracturing realms of Verngaurd quickly turns into a battle for survival. With dark creatures spreading roots of death and deceit and infecting ancient alliances, the Knights must prepare themselves for a battle of life and death. The novel picks up where the first installment left off, diving deeper into the intriguing characters from the earlier volume readers have come to know and love and pushing each of them repeatedly on edge. Exhilarating action scenes and unanticipated twists add further complexity to the narrative, and Ballae’s and Jumeaux’s backstories intriguingly delve into the distant history. The participants swing wildly between valor and wickedness as the tournament starts, with their preconceived ideas of themselves and each other getting challenged in combat. But the tournament also brings them closer, making them realize that they have much in common between them than it seems on the surface. With a first-rate blend of political drama, magic, and action, Four manages to inject tension and stakes into a fast-moving story. However, his real talent lies in immersive worldbuilding and tight plotting, and he does an expert job of setting the scene for the rest of the series while at the same time constructing a story that’s engaging in its own right. The vast scope of this book and the main characters’ compelling journeys make it a solid read.
Hourglass of Destruction
(Far Forest Scrolls, #2)
Alpha Four
Pub date December 13, 2019
ISBN 978-1732149946
Price $26.99 (USD) Hardcover, $7.50 Paperback, $2.08 Kindle edition
