On the White Sea, realm of smashers and sea monsters, a ship is carrying Nazafareen and Darius to the Isles of the Marakai, where the wise woman Sakhet-ra-katme has guarded the secret of the talismans for centuries. But another is searching too, a daeva born in the brutal prison of the Kiln, who plans to use the talismans to free the Vatras and their mad king. When their paths collide at the emperor’s lavish palace in Tjanjin, Nazafareen and Darius face their deadliest and most cunning foe yet.
Monstrum… The monster within us or others?
Mrs. Ross, what a world! It takes a great talent for such a mix of history, mythology, and magic of the elements not to explode in your face. I took my time to enjoy it and to analyze the connections you made! I do not have what to criticize. Also, your descriptions put together the imagines and the sounds that allow creating a very vivid world. The way in which the figures of speech were used brings beauty without impeding the good, steady pace of the story.
Many threads flow apparently independent from each other until they are weaved within the main plot. The various characters continue to develop and I must say, that I really liked one of the “bad guys” and that increased my curiosity about the ending. Court plots, lies and half-truths, manipulations and ill interests, but also the good deeds feed the story and add consistency to the plot. Adventure, a little bit of romance, a litlle bit of humor, a little bit of dispair.. are the condiments to enhance the atmosphere.
In other order, let’s see if the 5 main features of a fantasy story are met:
- a magic system – special abilities and fantastical creatures and.. – √
- a robust setting – see above - √
- a complex set of characters – indeed - √
- the central conflict – oooh, yes - √
- the power system – yep - √
The conclusion? Monstrum and the whole series have all it is necessary to be a successful one. I liked it, I hope you’ll like it too.
Published: June 15th, 2018
In the third volume of the Fourth Talisman series, the hunt is on for the three daevas whose powers saved the world once before….
On the White Sea, realm of smashers and sea monsters, a ship is carrying Nazafareen and Darius to the Isles of the Marakai, where the wise woman Sakhet-ra-katme has guarded the secret of the talismans for centuries. But another is searching too, a daeva born in the brutal prison of the Kiln, who plans to use the talismans to free the Vatras and their mad king. When their paths collide at the emperor’s lavish palace in Tjanjin, Nazafareen and Darius face their deadliest and most cunning foe yet.
In the mountain fastness of Val Moraine, the Pythia’s minions are on the scent of another talisman, this one from the Danai clan. Trapped behind a thick wall of ice, everyone’s going slightly mad—the perfect cauldron of suspicion and betrayal for Thena, who sees a chance to redeem her failure and bring the talisman back to Delphi. Then she’ll be free to indulge her twisted obsession with Darius—and make him pay.
And in Samarqand, Javid is drawn into the treacherous currents of a royal succession. When the old king dies and his son takes the throne, the depths of the prince’s depravity become clear. A journey north reveals the source of the spell dust he’s addicted to—and leaves Javid with an impossible choice.
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About the author:
Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day, the Fourth Element fantasy trilogy (The Midnight Sea, Blood of the Prophet, Queen of Chaos), and a new gaslamp mystery series that opens with The Daemoniac and continues with The Thirteenth Gate. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. For more information about Kat’s books, come visit her at:
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2 comments:
This sounds like a great, fun series! Glad you liked it! :)
Thank you so much, I'm so happy you liked it! Your review made my day :) Lots more to come in Book #4, Nemesis!
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