“A Rip-Roaring Series Opener!” – Kirkus Reviews The time for hiding is finished. The dead are restless. Fate and destiny collide.Twins Cayden and Avery Tiernan have grown up in isolation on the fringe of the realm. Gifted with forbidden skills, they hide their growing magical powers. Ancient prophecies speak of the ones with the power to depose the queen.To protect her throne, Queen Alcina scours … throne, Queen Alcina scours the land for evidence of magic, while the darker force she serves threatens the land with chaos. She is not the only huntress however. Primordial seekers discover the twins first but before they can escape, the death of a queen’s guard puts the entire village in jeopardy. To save their town, the twins flee, only to be dragged toward an unknown destiny.
Guided by her gift, Avery senses lies and treachery where others see only truth. Dare she trust her instincts? For Cayden, an irresistible voice whispers to him. Does it belong to the souls of the dead and are they calling him home?
Buy Seer of Souls and plunge into the first book of the Spirit Shield Saga today!
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This is a truly unique story of fantasy that is enjoyable and exciting. The characters are great and the book is action-filled.
Epic fantasy and magic wrapped up in good solid story-telling.
I’ve always been a bit wary of epic fantasy sagas for fear they’d be too fantastical or far-fetched to enjoy. I was more than pleasantly surprised here though; whereas many such stories have too many different storylines that take too long to converge, Seer of Souls was remarkably easy to follow and understand from beginning to end with the different strands of the story being closely interlinked.
There is quite a dramatic start in the birth/death of two new-born twins, which tied in nicely with the wider story further on. There are several themes to the story that have been explored elsewhere but here they are merged and given their own originality; the central character, Cayden for example, put me in mind Andre Norton’s ‘The Beast Master,’ with his animal summoning abilities, while the idea of royalty and wizards is reminiscent of the King Arthur legend. The imagery of the Kingsmen soldiers in their battle armour and royal regalia, combined with the burning of witches and banning of magic had a certain medieval feel to it with echoes of the Cromwellian era and the battle between Parliament and the Royalists. There was of course magic, mythology, and elements of fantasy but they don’t overwhelm or distract from the basic story the way a sci-fi film might with too many special effects. To this end, much of it is set amid a more-earthly setting and definite storyline, with characters supping pints and tradesmen going about their business. ‘Healers,’ Mother Nature, and Goddesses along with a mythical underworld play their part, all of which have much in common with druids and paganism, so again, there is a comfortable familiarity in the way they’ve been portrayed here.
Another aspect of the writing that made for easy readability is that it wasn’t filled entirely with weird and esoterically named characters and places; yes, some of the names were unusual enough as you’d expect in a fantasy saga but they were balanced with more recognisable ones too. The overall story, which I won’t give away plot-wise, had just as many common elements such as ambition, treachery, struggles for power, and rebellion, with human and mortal battles fought alongside the more magical ones.
The author makes clear this is the first part of a series, so readers shouldn’t be surprised or disappointed when finding there are still many questions to be answered at the end. Having said that, the story here still reads well as a stand-alone one as far it goes, but clearly with further elements to be expanded upon, i.e. that side of the story surrounding the main character’s equally gifted twin sister, Avery, and future battles to be fought. This is a well-written and entertaining addition to the fantasy saga genre, and a great introduction to it if you’ve not read anything like this before.
If you love fantasy do read this series for all ages. Very well written, adventure, action, and suspense. Takes you to a world of humans, God’s and other beings. I highly recommend this series.
good character development. Will read more in this series.
I’m still reading it and about 1/3 through it, But it is very interesting and I can read it all day and be almost finished.
I liked the way it was written. Story was good.
Lo ed this story. Keep me on the edge of my seat.
The story was so good I wanted to keep reading when it was done. I am looking forward to the sequels.
I truly enjoyed this book. You had an idea of how things would end but the author threw in a few twists that weren’t expected. I would recommend it.
Loved it!
Absolutely lovely story!
Loved it. Kept my attention. Fantastical and realistic. Unique qualities in an exciting book
Very good likable characters
havent finished it yet
It was great until the ending which was lame.
Decided it was not worth finishing
This is turning out to be a story worth reading. Enjoyed the development of a Cayden Tiernan. He promises to be a strong character. I look forward to reading about his sister Avery in future books. If you like fantasy adventure I strongly recommend you read this series!