Published: Dec. 08, 2010
Words: 116,297 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452339153

Short description

Aaron and Shanna's friendship transcends social status. But where Aaron's brilliance has all but assured him a respected position, Shanna seems destined for a life of drudgery, until their home is laid waste by an elemental attack. Separately, they learn of the mysterious Fifth Element, a relic that brings them into a final confrontation not as allies, but as adversaries.

Extended description

Aaron—scholar, alchemist, and sorcerer's apprentice—wants nothing more than to study his tomes, perform his experiments, and spend time with his closest friend, Shanna. Substitute the occasional romp about the city for the books and plenty of games of crutchit for the smelly alchemicals, and Shanna is just fine with that too.

Their routines—and their lives—are thrown into chaos when an elemental attack is launched against their home. Aaron thinks Shanna killed, while Aaron himself is forced to flee for his life. For Shanna, who survives that fateful night, the greatest adventure of her life is about to begin. Only the worst of nightmares awaits Aaron: pursued by dwarves, hell hounds, and a demon who will not stop until he is dead, the only thing keeping him alive is his own resourcefulness and an eslar mercenary whose reputation as a killer might make him the worst threat of all.

Though Aaron and Shanna travel different paths, their purpose is joined when they individually .. (Read more) Aaron—scholar, alchemist, and sorcerer's apprentice—wants nothing more than to study his tomes, perform his experiments, and spend time with his closest friend, Shanna. Substitute the occasional romp about the city for the books and plenty of games of crutchit for the smelly alchemicals, and Shanna is just fine with that too.

Their routines—and their lives—are thrown into chaos when an elemental attack is launched against their home. Aaron thinks Shanna killed, while Aaron himself is forced to flee for his life. For Shanna, who survives that fateful night, the greatest adventure of her life is about to begin. Only the worst of nightmares awaits Aaron: pursued by dwarves, hell hounds, and a demon who will not stop until he is dead, the only thing keeping him alive is his own resourcefulness and an eslar mercenary whose reputation as a killer might make him the worst threat of all.

Though Aaron and Shanna travel different paths, their purpose is joined when they individually learn of the mysterious Fifth Element. Shanna sees it as the final piece in the puzzle that is her destiny. To Aaron's logical mind, it is an impossible ambiguity. Whatever the answer, the Fifth Element draws them back together and into a final confrontation not as allies, but as adversaries.
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Tags

adventure, action, magic, epic, alchemy, epic fantasy, sorcery, elementals, magic and wizards

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Reviews

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Review by: Ionia Martin on Jan. 18, 2013 :
I read a previous book by this author not too long ago, and although I enjoyed it, there were some quirks. I was excited to see where he would go with this book, and now I feel lucky that I had a chance to read it. WITHOUT SPOILERS: It is very obvious that this author has grown in his craft and has settled into a comfortable pattern of writing books that are both vibrant and entertaining. The description in this book far surpassed my expectations. The characters were multidimensional and created in a way that makes the reader identify with them and keep reading every page with expectation.

The single thing that impressed me the most about this book, is that when there is dialogue, it changes slightly from character to character. Rather than everyone sounding the same and the reader having to struggle to figure out who is talking, you can grasp who is speaking as their speech patterns match their character. This surprised me, as it is something you don't see very often.

The plot the author has chosen for this book is different than those I have seen before and when you read this, you really get a feeling that the author had the entire thing planned before he ever put the first word on a blank screen. The characters and their actions and emotions fit the plot so well that it is apparent the author really had a sense of direction while writing. I also loved the way the author chose to end this book, it was not quite what I would have expected and it worked. I will be awaiting the next title anxiously, as I am curious to see which direction he will take. Excellent.
(reviewed long after purchase)

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