By How would you feel if you ran into an Invisible Wizard?
Corcoran Gray (a wizard, who just happens to be waiting for an invisible potion to wear off) is resting in a barn, when a woman literally runs into him,. As his powers wain, Brix is closely followed by soldiers and they are both captured (as he is clearly visible again)
The two are taken to a castle, where predictably they escape, but not before Gray runs into an old adversary – Kiers, and finds a book worth ‘borrowing‘.
The two go their separate ways, but not for long as Brix reappears in the same Inn as Gray. He finds details of his grandfather’s capture in the book. During the night he uses a spell and in a vision – Aurius says Gray needs to go on a quest to find Lorian and an artefact – a child of sorts, who needs hiding!
Brix and Gray stay together to find Lorian and become embroiled in a wizard fight but someone is watching. Brix is paralysed by a spell and Gray when trying to save her discovers she is a Tirnaal Slave – stolen with her sister when she was thirteen, but she appear to have some protection against Gary’s magic.
The three companions go off on a quest to the Jaern-Temple into the deep dark depth of caves, fighting Creatlach – hideous beasts protecting the caves. The three have to solve riddles to be able to move deeper into the bowels of the temple.
Gray finds an doll and some precious stones – Is this the Child he is looking for? In an attempt to escape, he inadvertently releases an old ‘Jaern God’ – Lord of Secrets. Gray bravely swallows his soul so that he can use him to find Aurius. Now he has all the pieces to find him and once assembled, Jearn could be the key for Aurius’s release – if Jearn cooperates!
However things are not all they seem, there are traitors within this group of misfits…who is it? Who is loyal to Kiers – Is this whole adventure really a trap? Gray needs to urgently assemble the child and rescue Aurius, but will he have any friends left to help him and will he succeed?
Initially this book appears to be another Wizard story, with sorcery, mysterious creatures, and a quest for the truth. However. Ordinary it is not!
Yes it begins fairly predictably with young wizard, helping a young slave girl, but that is where it ends. I found myself immersed in the trials of Gray and his fellow travellers. Jearn is an imaginative comical, unpredictable character, which is what this book needed to keep the reader entertained.
I really enjoyed how there are very few main characters (five) within this adventure and because of this; it offers more depth to each of them. I also appreciated that not all of the characters were likable but played an intrinsic part to the plot. In places it was predictable but in others it was fast paced and some events, particularly the conclusion were unforeseeable.
This is a clever, interesting fantasy with complex characters and I would recommend this as a good read.
Lord of Secrets is published by Jo Fletcher Books and is available here.
Breanna Teintze
Breanna Teintze is a registered nurse, who writes (well) and gardens (badly). She lives in Idaho with her husband, where she homeschools her three kids and polishes swords. Her novel, Lord of Secrets, is published by Jo Fletcher Books.
Reviewed by Amanda Brightman
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