A somewhat entertaining action adventure romanceI liked the opening; it was full of action and plonked the reader right into the story line. Caliphany, the young elfin heroine, has magical powers and is due to marry, but clearly doesn’t want to. So begins her struggle to break free of her planned destiny to become a mage, and train to be a Ranger instead. The story is set for Caliphany to embark on her journey to find love and fulfillment.Although the setting and characters aren’t all that original, I was taken in by the lively narrative and the often vivid descriptions that helped me to visualize the fantastical elf city of Leogard and beyond.Caliphany is a well defined character, spunky and often headstrong, she gets into a lot of trouble due to her fiery nature and her desire to forge out her own path in life. When she leaves her home to find adventure, she is set upon by brutes who try to kidnap her, this when she falls for the half elf, sea captain and Ranger, Galadin, who rescues her and takes her to train as a Ranger. But their romance isn’t easy. I won’t spoil the story by revealing too much, but suffice to say, they have to overcome a lot of bother before they eventually get it on. When they do, there is a bit of steamy sex to liven up the long passages of day-to-day training stuff that a lot of the book deals with.The other two main characters, Galadin and Jayden, are also fairly well drawn out. Galadin is portrayed as sensitive as well as a fighter, which helps the reader to warm to him. I wasn’t too fond of Jayden; he came across as well, just plain boring. He loves Caliphany, but not with the same fire and rawness as Galadin.Most of the actual conflict or drama is internal as Caliphany has to make crucial decisions about her life and whom she should end up with. Her romance with Galadin is by no means clear-cut and it is their ‘will they won’t they’ relationship that is at the core of the story. I would have liked a little more of a gritty plot line perhaps, but it is a romance so I guess that is what the story is really about.I wasn’t too sure about the multiple viewpoints though. It is a style quite difficult to get right, and I think the author doesn’t quite make it work for me. It was somewhat jarring on occasions, this shifting back and forth between places and action. I didn’t really see the need to do this, as although written in the first person, the narratives were a little detached. All three ‘voices’ Caliphany, Galadin, and Jayden, weren’t strong enough to set them apart individually. On the whole, the story and the character’s responses to what happens to them are convincing, except for what Caliphany decides to do after the shipwrecking with Jayden. It didn’t seem to go along with how she had been portrayed previously. However, I see why the author chose to make Caliphany do this, since it further accentuates the position the heroine has in her world and her true feelings for Galadin. It is a tale of war, life choices, struggles for freedom and ultimately love and forgiveness. All set in an imaginary world filled with the usual fantasy creatures. For me, that is what let the story down – lack of originality in characters and plot. However, it is such a well-written book with very engaging central characters, Caliphany, and her love, Galadin that I decided to forgive Mysti and for the most part, I enjoyed reading the book.I have a few niggles about originality and character motivations, but nothing that prevented me from getting embroiled in the conflict. Maybe a little editing to get rid of a few of the longer descriptions, especially when Caliphany is in training, would crisp up the narrative and make it more exciting and dramatic. I think that it is a great read and should entertain anyone who enjoys fantasy romance that is written well. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Initially, I felt uncertain how to approach a review for this story. So, to be fair, I read it twice. Yes, it is engaging enough to read more than once. I felt that the plot would have held more intrigue and longing if it had been written from the female protagonist's point of view only. However, the transitions between the point of views was smooth and interesting. Every sentence revolving around magic filled me with me excitement. I enjoyed the journey with Cali, as she easily overcame obstacles that would have been impossible feats had she stayed in her homeland. She would have never been able to master the arts her domineering father subjected to her without circumstances to match her restlessness. The point of view from the primary male protagonist, Galadin , filled me with wonder as Cali's curious delights and adventures restored to him a vigor-filled essence. My heart ached from his troubledpast. His quest for retribution and self-denial lead me to praise him. As I previously stated, the level of romance would have created a more anticipatory atmosphere. The writer was still able to capture it beautifully, and nothing felt amiss. Other reviews held complaints of Cali's whining and weaknesses. I, on the other hand, appreciate how she is portrayed. Our weaknesses make us real, and we all feel the need to whine from time to time. Her characters are portrayed as real people handling life and tragedy in real ways. There was no facade of supernatural strength to quickly overcome the deepest wounds of the heart.The scenery is explicitly beautiful. There was no onslaught of useless adjectives, but descriptive to the point of being able to see these places and be there by means of the written word. Excellent work. The combats, the adventures, and the adult content are all amazing. The moments of reconciliation were honestly heart warming. And the end... You should experience for yourself. I HIGHLY recommend this book. I, myself, will venture through it many times over.
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Pyh, den havde mange ups and downs den her bog - til tider forfærdelig, til tider ganske udmærket!
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