War Trail

Terri Beckett and Chris Power
Cerridwen Press (2008)
ISBN 9781419916304
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/08)


Beginning in “Tribute Trail,” Rythian and Kherin’s story continues in “War Trail.”  Rythian of the D’Shael people has the powerful gift of Sun Fire.  Khassani Prince Kherin has chosen to go through the rite that will make him one of the D’Shael.  He is a Sword Brother and more to Rythian.  Because he was not born a D’Shael there are people who do not trust him.  Others are jealous of his relationship with Rythian.  Through treachery and betrayal his life is in danger. 
         
Tylos has been at odds with the D’Shaels for a long time.  Those in league with the Tylossians only do so out of fear of their Master Mage Prenin.  He is an evil man.  He uses the life force of others for his strength.  He sacrifices people, including children to feed a blood-thirsty demon under his power.  For the people of this time to live in harmony and without fear, Prenin must be stopped.

Rythian and Kherin seek to stop him.  To gain strength, they meet with the other eight tribes of the D’Shael.  To unite all nine tribes of D’Shael will allow them to gather all of their forces together.  They also approach other tribes to enter into treaties with them.  Some are willing, others fear Prenin too much.  They also doubt that Rythian’s power is real. 

Rythian and Kherin have a huge task on their hands.  They also discover that there are those within who have betrayed the tribe for their own gain.  In “War Trail” both men must use the full extent of their powers to overcome the evil darkness that threatens the land. 

“War Trail” is an incredibly written story.  I caught myself sitting on the edge of my seat, holding my breath many times.  The plot is very complex and the characters are well developed.  They are multi-dimensional.  The authors take you into their minds to discover where their motivations for their actions come from.  Sometimes the greed is motivated by power and control, other times it is because of the person has been warped by previous experiences.  Rythian and Kherin share a really special bond.  At their core, they are good honorable people.  This makes you root for them even more.

“War Trail’ is definitely a must read for fans of fantasy fiction.  It has it all, magic, honor, treachery, betrayal and intrigue.  Don’t miss it!

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