Keeper of the Flame, by Catherine Chase
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Creative Juices Publishing (July 11, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0977937801
Reviewed by: Michelle L Devon, Accentuate Services
Book Description:
The
mystical land of Draecus-a land closed off from all others for
generations. In Mikaelia, it is remembered only in bedtime stories
passed down through the ages. With the war for the lands of Mikaelia
now over, the human female Jarnell fights her family's wishes of
marriage to unite two noble houses and strengthen the family holdings.
Running away, she seeks out her elven friend, Dekion, and gains a
startling traveling companion in the form of a half-orscha warrior,
Sahri-tah. Coming together after the devastating wars between the races
of their land, the three of them battle against their own distrusts of
each other's races to search for Dekion's father, who was lost during
wars. Following their only lead, given to them by a crazed man in the
streets of Sel Lorst, they find themselves in the lost, magical land of
Draecus where a war between humans and orscha has just begun. While
they wait, the companions become caught up in the war that crosses the
once peaceful Draecus. They must fight to stay alive long enough for
the portals to open again and allow them passage back to their own
land. At the same time, Jarnell, a follower of the Goddess of passion,
fights the desire to stay in the arms of Daedic, the only man to ever
bring to life the flames of passion in her body, mind, and soul.
Ms.
Chase has written a novel that intricately weaves several storylines
together skillfully into one cohesive story, spanning over several
years, that while it stands alone, leaves the reader begging to know
more.
With fanciful but believable characters, races such as the
elves, orscha, and a race of people known as the Aishtoullar, which are
similar to characters we have seen in other fantasy novels, but with a
new twist that is unlike anything a reader might find in any other
fantasy novel - the characters of Keeper of the Flame will not fail to delight and keep you drawn into the story.
The
story begins with the birth of Jarnell, our unlikely heroine, who came
into this world and into her station in a rather chaotic way, to
fulfill a destiny, unknown to her, her family, or her companions - a
destiny known only to that Goddess she serves, but to whom she has
never committed herself or her sword completely - a destiny that
Jarnell is not too sure she can fulfill.
From there, we are
introduced to a variety of characters, all linked to Jarnell in some
way, and we watch their adventures as they travel on their quest, a
quest that, should they fail, would ultimately mean the destruction of
two worlds. On this quest, we are taken through a series of events that
show us war and destruction but also love and friendship, and the bonds
of blood, family, not to mention a great romance thrown in the middle
of all the other chaos. It's a good balance, and a believable plot with
which any reader can relate.
Keeper of the Flame is a
story about passion... passion for life, passion for love, passion for
following one's destiny, in spite of all the obstacles.
The
writing style of this book is almost poetic in nature, but it is very
easy to read. The imagery is beautiful, the lands created drawn as
pictures through words. The editing is superb. The formatting of the
book is neat, attractive and clean. The binding is strong, with a full
color soft cover. The cover is not laminate, so you do not need to
worry about separation during shipping, but is high gloss and
attractive.
I highly recommend this novel and look forward to more of Ms. Chase's creations.
Michelle L. Devon (Michy) is an author, writer, poet... she's
also a professional dreamer.
With four published books and more under contract, as well as managing her
business, Accentuate Services,
Ms. Devon stays busy living her purpose.
Michy currently lives and loves with her unique and amazing family, including
a house full of furry critters, in the Permian Basin area of West Texas.
"Writing is more than a profession," she says. "It's a lifelong dream and a
passion. Who could ask for more than to wake every day to do what you love the
most and get paid for it too? I am a writer. It's not what I do; it's who I
am."
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