White Light Red Fire
On the island of Andore in the Third Age, a mysterious alchemist offers a powerful king the means to conquer the known world. All he needs is a special red stone with magical properties. The king’s armies ride north, taking control of the lands where the red stones are found. But the people of the north won’t relinquish their lands quietly. Two farmers find themselves at the forefront of the confrontation, one with an inner magic that manifests during his first battle. With the help of a mythical race and a magician from the Second Age, the men will strike back against a tyrannical king and an evil alchemist bent on total domination.
Reid has crafted a lush, detailed world. During battles, the book is refreshingly clean of gore, pillaging, and wanton cruelty. Unfortunately, everything is told to readers. Events are plotted out and thoroughly explained prior to any action. Absent from the narrative are internal emotions and personal thoughts. For example, in the first half of the book, the character learning magic doesn’t often know why or how his powers manifest, he just does things. That’s not as interesting as a character who is physically and emotionally challenged learning a new skill.
Another issue I had was the cast being almost all male. Women are either a mention or a side character and only as a past or present love interest. This choice will limit the book’s audience. Epic adventures such as this require a more diverse cast and multidimensional characters; however, there’s a grand scope, lots of action, and a rich history (although not an earth history) for readers to get swept up in.
