Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

Saint Elm's Deep by M.R. Mathias My rating: 3 of 5 stars With Gallarael saved - mostly, Vanx is free to pursue his personal quest, and heads North with Darbon, who is trying to get over his lost love. Finding a new band of merry men, Vanx strikes out to pursue the Hoar Witch, who is presumably his grandmother, if legends about his father are to believed. Naturally it’s a trip fraught with danger and mystery, and has become habit for Vanx, lots of loss. Can he find out his real claim to the Saint Elm name? In book three of the Vanx Malic series he goes deeper into his roots, which has been a mystery for some time. Drawn by some unknown force he pursues a difficult course and again, risks life and limb for knowledge, his limbs and his companions. I felt like this story was not just an afterthought, or wrapping up a dying plot point, as it seemed with book 2, but I still was frustrated by some of the superficiality of the characters and the past pace of the plot. I’m hoping tha...

Dragon Isle by M.R. Mathias My rating: 3 of 5 stars Vanx Malic has to go to Dragon Isle to save Gallarael, the daughter of his former lover. To do that he has to get the blood of the most vicious dragon there, the crimson fire breather Pyra. He has help, but knows it will likely come down to him. What he doesn’t realize is his goddess will give him his own calling that will lead him to adventures he never anticipated. Dragon Isle picks up immediately where book 1 of the series left off, with what’s left of the group fighting to save Gallarael. While an interesting read, and I enjoyed the change in scenery, it felt very much like a bridge or filler book. It didn’t quite measure up to the first book, even though it clearly moved the story along, which I appreciated. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t quite as invested in these characters like the Wardstone trilogy or even the first book of the Vanx Malic series. It was a quick read and enjoyable, just superficial comparatively. Vie...

Through the Wildwood by M.R. Mathias My rating: 4 of 5 stars Vanx is pretty sure he can escape his shackles, but there is the matter of the pretty girl to save also. He can tell their party is about to be ambushed, and he feels compelled to save her, as he is quite certain she was sent to purchase his freedom by her mother, who was fond of Vanx warming her bed. But can he save her from the poison she encountered on her escape? And what of the strange wizard’s pack and the unnatural attraction to it the ogres seem to display? Will he ever work his way out of the Wildwood? In The Legend of Vanx Malic Mathias follows up his hugely successful Wardstone Trilogy with a new hero, the half Zythian Vanx Malic. This is a shorter tome than the three Wardstone books, but no less entertaining or engaging. The fast paced book doesn’t have a whole lot of time for character development, but the potential is certainly there and the story well done enough to keep the reader guessing and looking f...

Kings, Queens, Heroes, & Fools by M.R. Mathias My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hyden Hawk has been charged to find the Silver Skull of Zorellin, leaving his friend Mikahl to defend his new title as High King and reclaim Wildermont from the combined forces of Shaella and Ra’Gren, her reluctant ally. Due to Hyden she now has a new dragon and a new mission, to free her lover, Gerard, from the demonic realm he to which he was forced to retreat. But does Gerard retain any of his old self, or has he turned into the new king of hell? Can anyone fight against him once he’s freed? Picking up right where The Sword and the Dragon leaves off, Kings, Queens, Heroes and Fools follows the story of Hyden Hawk and Mikahl in their new roles, while delving deep into the new political atmosphere created in the original book. As typical of Mathias, there are a lot of characters to follow and a lot of magic to help, but I found that it seemed much easier to follow the plot as there were two clear alignme...

The Sword and the Dragon by M.R. Mathias My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hyden is annoyed that he doesn’t get to make the climb this year, but all the Elders are counting on him to win the archery tournament. When his brother comes back with more than enough for him, he doesn’t think twice about letting his brother keep the bauble he found, even though technically his brother was on his climb. When they visit the fortune teller’s tent, neither Hyden nor Gerard can believe her prediction, even when it starts to come true. Hyden thus sets out on a journey to become Hyden Hawk, bearer of the legacy of Dahg Mahn, friend to elf, king, Seawardsman, and all creatures, not the least of which his faithful hatchling, Talon. Can he take on the mantle of Dahg Mahn and fight the growing evil, as those in the ancient stories? He isn’t sure he can bear such a burden, but he may not have any choice. In the Sword and the Dragon M.R. Mathias sets up the Wardstone Trilogy, and it reads like an epic fantas...