Review of Eye of the Sword

Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley is the second book in the Angelaeon Circle fantasy series. A reformed thief and servant of evil, all Trevin wants to do now is to serve King Laetham of Camrithia and his beautiful daughter Melaia as one of the king’s captains. Things get shaken up with Prince Varic of Dregmoor appears with an eye for Melaia, and Trevin is commissioned by the king on a quest to find the rest of the captains, or comains as they are called, who have disappeared mysteriously. 

His quest becomes more challenging when Melaia requests that he also search for two missing harps that are said to have the power to restore the stairway to heaven. With a heavy heart, he leaves Camrithia and his beloved Melaia to seek the truth and and prove his worth to the king. What ensues is a dangerous, dramatic, and, at times, deadly journey of discovery, not only of what has happened to the comains and the harps, but who he truly is and what his destiny could be.

As he grapples with his past, will Trevin be able to finish his quest before Princess Melaia is won over by Varic? Will he even survive?

I detest picking up a series at the second or third book and muddling my way through the first few chapters. It’s like being the newcomer in a group that has known each other for years, and it can be quite irritating. However, this book reads like a standalone. I also like how the ending is satisfying. No bothersome cliffhangers that are at times more irksome than anticipation-inducing. The characters are strong and their backgrounds are well-thought out. And how rich the setting is! I loved the descriptions of new lands, new creatures, and new adventures. I highly respect fantasy writers because the majority of the content of their books is purely imagination! That is a very huge undertaking, and the author has handled it masterfully. There’s the right blend of suspense, mystery, and romance to keep the plot moving seamlessly until the end. Nicely done!

I wasn’t a fan of the book calling its “God” in the story “Most High mother-father”. That bothered me and made me wonder why the author even brought it up. I also must admit that the description of different characters in the beginning of the book was a bit disorienting. After skimming through it, I went straight to the story and had no trouble keeping up. I think those descriptions can be helpful but are best left at the end of the book and put in the index, where the reader can find it if they are even confused with a character. I also was a little bewildered at how the angel race mixed up with the human race so easily. It’s like everyone in the story is somehow blood related and family lines are distorted. It begs the question that if the angels and humans mix so much, are the angels in this story really angels after all? Or just glorified humans? And what point is the author trying to make through this? Muddy, dangerous waters. 

In the end, my opinion is half and half. I really liked the story, but there were some things that bugged me. Therefore, I rate this book three out of five stars.

Specifics (from amazon.com):

~Paperback: 256 pages

~Publisher: WaterBrook Press (March 13, 2012)

Note: Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Blessings,

~Prism~