In a city once hailed as a natural wonder, now corrupted and sullied, the Spring Market has just begun. Elves are bought and sold wholesale, destined for an unholy ceremony: a decrepit king seeks immortality. Among the elves is one of royal blood, carrying an artifact of untold power. When it falls into the hands of a young rogue, the brooch seems his ticket to a new life, but instead draws him into an insidious web of danger. Pursued by a huntress seeking vengeance for her sister’s kidnapping, and a pair of half-bloods seeking a father gone missing, he soon finds their paths are hopelessly entangled.
Drawn together by amulets handed down through generations, they soon uncover a legacy of betrayal and loss. Along with a cursed mage who walks with the wicked, they must unite the amulets, rescue the elves, and stop the dark priesthood. If they fail, the High King will rise again, and Urgrithka the Hollow will enter the world of the living. Cyrradon will know an eternity of undeath.
The Call is the first book of the Storm’s Rising’s series, beginning the epic tale of a world created in the image of beauty and balance, and rent asunder by wars among gods and mortals. (taken from Amazon)
Sometimes I want to read a big fantasy book, one with epic quests, high stakes, and a large world. Well, The Call more than fit the bill. It was full of adventure and fun.
This book feels very much like a throwback to the “older” fantasy that I read when I was younger. It’s obvious that there were influences from some of the classic fantasy books, but The Call was still its own thing, creative and unique.
Each character has their own background and motivation, from an elven princess desperate to find her sister to Lendil, who has had to watch his father’s addiction to drinking and wants a new lease on life. While I liked some of them better than others (roguish Lendil stole the show for me), each character was interesting in their own way. I enjoyed the multiple points of view. Sometimes this doesn’t work for me, but each character was unique enough that I was never bored or disinterested.
The world was well developed everything was revealed naturally throughout the story, avoiding the dreaded info dump. While the story started out a little bit slowly, it soon found an excellent pace. The series has incredible potential, and the authors are weaving a great adventure in a fascinating world that begs to be explored.
For readers who are looking for a new fantasy with a throwback feel, look no further than The Call.
Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub 