Exiled by his family. Claimed by thieves. Could his dark ability be the key to his salvation?
Rsiran is a disappointment to his family, gifted with the ability to Slide. It is a dark magic, one where he can transport himself wherever he wants, but using it will only turn him into the thief his father fears.
Forbidden from Sliding, he’s apprenticed under his father as a blacksmith where lorcith, … blacksmith where lorcith, a rare, precious metal with arcane properties, calls to him, seducing him into forming forbidden blades. When discovered, he’s banished, sentenced indefinitely to the mines of Ilphaesn Mountain.
Though Rsiran tries to serve obediently, to learn to control the call of lorcith as his father demands, when his life is threatened in the darkness of the mines, he finds himself Sliding back to Elaeavn where he finds a black market for his blades – and a new family of thieves.
There someone far more powerful than him discovers what he can do and intends to use him. He doesn’t want to be a pawn in anyone’s ambitions; all he ever wanted was a family. But the darkness inside him cannot be ignored – and he’s already embroiled in an ancient struggle that only he may be able to end.
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Took a bit to get into this one, but over all a good read. Love how the pieces came together in the end instead of being able to figure everything out right away.
I have read the first seven books in this series, and I love them! Holmberg is a genius! His characters are relatable even though they have gifts of the extraordinary kind! I would definitely recommend this series to any fantasy enthusiast!
Ok, so I nearly put this down a dozen times because of the grammar errors and uneven writing, but I finished it and am now on the 4th book of the series. The ideas are fresh and the world created is unique and worth giving time to develop. The main character is very likable and his voyage of self discovery entertaining, even if it tends to bog in repetitive questions. This is a safe book for tweens – I think it made it to the end of book 3 before he kisses his girlfriend actually on the lips…and yet they share a room and sleep next to each other, so … The power sources and politics, the plot mysteries and betrayals are all driving the story forward and I am still reading to see where it all ties together. An entertaining fast read.
Rsiarn has an ability the very few have in fact it has been banned where he lives. His father is not happy with the knowledge that his son has this talent. As a result he sends him as punishment to the lorcith mines to extract the ore. Before he leaves for the mines he meets Brusus and a couple of his associates.
While in the mines he finds he has another talent that is the ability to feel the lorcith ore in the walls of the mine.
He realizes that he is closer to these people then his own family who don’t seem to want anything to do with him.
I received this book free of charge from the author and I’m so glad I got it.
This was a pleasant, fast read for me. I enjoyed the characters and the magic. I’ve already purchased book 2.
what a good book. To have this ability and know it was considered bad, but to persevere and use it for good is always wonderful.
Extraordinary! What a great imagination and talent Mr Holmberg has exhibited in his writing with this story. A different and unusual kind of magic in this tale transcends the reader into a fantasy world that is very unique. The vivid characters written so well throughout that they have become my friends. I empathized with the protagonist, Rsiren, when his father disowned him and sent him to the mines where criminals are punished. The world building describes a unique area of life with buildings so old they are crumbling and yet the people can see a magical Elvraeth palace from many different perspectives as if it were floating. Fascinating!
Some interesting ideas but characters are cardboard cutouts.
I enjoyed this book so much that I got the 2nd & 3rd book in the series because I want to know how it all ends. I love the way the characters develop through the book and look forward to finding out more about them in the next books.
I enjoyed every book in the series.
A good, stand-alone story with some interesting twists. There are definite possibilities for the series to grow, but I haven’t got to reading any others, yet.
Magic and metallurgy power this inventive story of a young apprentice smith who has a way with a special metal. He also has the ability to “wink” out of one place and into another magically, which puts him at odds with his family. The city he lives in is ruled by noble families who plot against each other while somehow cowing all the inhabitants into submission to them. But it seems a revolution is brewing and yet– who’s on which side? The intrigue is interesting but toward the end seems to drag. And it’s not clear why the residents of this city fear being exiled from it– exile would seem a blessing, given the tyranny they’re living under. It remains to be seen if the story gets more interesting in the sequels.
I liked book but was disappointed that the rest of series is not ebooks that I could find.
Interesting read.
An excellent book, it is set in an original but highly believable world. The supernatural abilities are more like our idea of high IQ than they are of something alien and strange. While I did not click on the “realistic” box–simply because it is a fantasy set in an imaginary world, one the of the things that I like about the book and about the way the author writes is that it feels so realistic. It is very easy to accept the structure of the author’s invented universe and then to see that human nature remains the same within that context: intriguing, irritating, untrustworthy and yet capable of odd bursts of heroic action and profound empathy.
Points out how being different can make your life miserable but learning to use your difference can define you and make you special.
Liked the premise and the characters. Once done reading however it didn’t leave a lasting impression.
This ebook is much longer than most which I liked and was a fast-paced enjoyable read. The characters were full of mystery and always giving the protagonist something new to think about. The protagonist himself is used to show what it is like to keep having your mindset ever changing while just moving between different castes within the same city he has always lived in. Being a gifted smith I keep thinking he is a dwarf, especially with the ruling caste name so similar to elven. The main antagonist was kept somewhat hidden from us until the end, so didn’t get to hate him for very long. Good ending point with many things the main character has yet to reveal or explore and develop.
Will look for sequels.
Effort to finish, plods along!