Fantasy has always been one of my favorite genres, although, until recently, I’d not read much of note. The Emissary, by Thomas Locke, has shot to the top of my list of favorites. Clean, crisp writing paired with descriptions that pull you into the environment make this a very enjoyable novel.
Hyam’s dying mother had one last request—tell your father that I am gone. Hyam’s father had left them years ago to reside in the Three Valley’s Long Hall, residence of what remained of wizardry and magic. Hyam himself had spent five long years there and had no fond memory of the experience. But obey his mother’s wish as he had promised, he would do—Hyam was honorable if nothing else.
When he arrives, he’s told his father’s been dead for four years—and wasn’t his father, nor his mother his mother. The Mistress of the Hall sends him to another hall to seek the mage, Trace. And so begins Hyam’s epic journey of danger and disbelief and destiny.
The story so enthralled me that I dreamt about Hyam’s adventures and woke myself up—only to read to the wee hours until I had finished. As I loved Hyam and Trace and Joelle, I am delighted to tell you this is merely the start of the adventures. The Emissary stands by itself, though, with a beginning and a conclusion—unlike many series that leave you hanging.
If you love a rollicking adventure, with romance and danger involved, you’ll love The Emissary as I do. Although a fantasy story, Locke writes with such assurance that you’ll almost believe in a new reality. Five stars – be sure to pick up a copy and enjoy!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.
Deb’s Dozen: Ex-Ranger, lovely expat, war on island, intrigue, suspense, flight, justice.
Rebecca O’Neill is enjoying the last week of her summer vacation before her job as a sixth-grade teacher resumes. The last thing she wants to do is chaperone 25 kids on a sailing trip on the Shenandoah. But her principal is persuasive, and Rebecca finds herself on onboard despite all her objections. And to top of everything, the ship is rumored to be haunted.
Tess Roberts, daughter of the Shenandoah’s captain, wants nothing more than to be able to crew on the ship with her father. But father is cautious and not at all amenable to having a female crew member—there are too many temptation for the rest of the crew. Tess is fed up with the rules, her life, lousy dates, a dead ex who was a liar and philanderer, and the Vineyard, idyllic place though the island might be.
Shenandoah Dreams recounts the story of Melissa Smith—the teacher who’d disappeared from the ship mysteriously five years ago. She knows, “It’s just a dream,” as she stares into the handsome eyes of a man dressed in Colonial clothes just like those worth by the actors at Plimoth Plantation. But she’s not at the Plantation—or the Boston Tea Party Museum—she’s onboard the schooner Shenandoah sailing the waters around Martha’s Vineyard. But this man claims to be Isaiah Reed, the first captain of the Shenandoah in the eighteenth century!