Never has a curse. It's a useful curse to
have at times, as it has saved his life on more than one occasion. But it's a
curse nonetheless – or is it? Whatever it is, Never wants to know why he has it
and what it means. He sets out on a journey to find out with nothing more than
a hunch that the answer lies somewhere in the mysterious and remote Amber Isle.
The Amber Isle by Ashley Capes is a fantasy adventure
novella that includes one of my favourite elements of the genre – the
quest. We begin at an Inn (which I always love) where we meet our hero, Never. Never is wry, witty and just a touch cocky. While
it's frequently secondary characters who get all the best lines in fantasy
adventures – think Peregrin Took and Merry Brandybuck – in this book, the best
lines are left squarely with the main character, Never. Yes, Never has a bit of
a mouth that runs away with him and leads him into trouble, but he made me
laugh on more than one occasion.
Capes is a master of imagery, and in this
aspect he doesn't disappoint with The Amber Isle. The setting is conveyed
beautifully. The political world is in somewhat of a mess as the empire of
Malosa slowly falls to the Vadiya invasion. This tumultuous background, though
not fully fleshed out, was interesting, and I anticipate we'll be seeing more
of it in future installments of the series.
Readers who enjoy action, adventure, humour
and a dollop of mystery with their fantasy will eat up this novella. For a
short book, it also has an interesting cast of secondary characters and I hope
we see their return.
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