I met Stephen Merlino at the Colorado Gold conference last year so I could tell him in person how much I admired this book. I admit to having an ulterior motive. I want to read the sequel and I hoped by encouraging him, he’d write faster.

The story concerns Harric, an outcast who seeks to out-run death-by-curse. I’m a sucker for a good fantasy that’s not the same old elves and vampires, for magic that’s not the usual wand and swordery. This one delivers. Stephen pulled me in with the characters, spun an epic tale, and kept me flipping pages. I read it almost a year ago and it’s stuck with me.

I can’t say enough good things about this story, but don’t take my word for it. As always, grab a sample and dig in for yourself.

About the reviewer:

Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]