Rhiannon Paille

This is a book that hooked me from the start, with an opening scene that is filled with such mystery, magic, and foreboding that you can't resist the turn of the page. I loved the concept of the Ferrymen and the Flames, with the taboo relationship between Krishani and Kaliel drawing me even deeper into Rhiannon's world.

I've seen some reviewers comments upon feeling lost in the early portions of the book but, for me, that's how a great fantasy story should begin. Assuming the author has done her job well (and Rhiannon has), you should be immersed in the geography, mythology, and culture of the world and allowed time to get your bearings, but expected to do so quickly. There's nothing worse than an info-dump that spoon-feeds the world to the reader, boring them to tears before they can get into the story itself. It's not an easy story to fall into, but an easy one to want to fall into - and that's important to me.

The characters here are wonderfully developed, playing off one another in ways you don't always expect. They're a little immature at times and, paradoxically, mature beyond their years at other times, but that's ok given the roles they're to play. The romance element borders on the melodramatic, at times, but it rings true for the characters - they're young, but they're also shouldering a very mature burden of responsiblity.

Although the pacing is a little slow at times, it picks up beautifully in the later third of the novel, which is standard for a fantasy novel. Fortunately, the characters and the world-building are strong enough to carry the reader through the slow points and make them want to keep reading. As for the ending, it was more of a cliffhanger than I expected, and it does bother me that the book doesn't entirely seem to work as a stand-alone piece of fiction, but it excited me and intrigued me enough to want to read the sequel . . . so I guess the tease worked.… (more)