The Wrath of Zar
by Shayne Easson
Published by WestBank Publishing
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Reviewed by Diane Snyder
Wow! What a great start for a new fantasy writer! The Wrath of Zar, the first novel in the Demons of Destiny series, has it all with demons, dragons and magical swords.
Twenty-three years ago, the Warriors of Ches were charged by their god Faral to find and secure an artifact. Failure to do so would end in the destruction of the world. They did fail. Now the demons have awakened and the vengeance of Faris, Faral’s brother and enemy is being waged upon the surviving Warriors, their families and the places they live.
The Warriors have kept their past secret and have led productive and peaceful lives. Some are leaders and even kings. On the night of an annual festival, the home and town of Darren Caynne, formally a Warrior of Ches, is targeted by the demons, and the town is all but destroyed. Adan Caynne, a twin son of Darren is the only one left of his family.
After the attack, Adan has a dream that his younger brother, Dex is still alive but in peril. Adan leaves the wreckage of his home and village and sets out to find his brother. Before he can go far, Myron, a friend and brother to a girl Adan is in love with, insists on going with him. Myron is a “never miss” with the crossbow and trained in fighting. Adan is not a fighter but he now has his father’s sword–the Dragon Sword that has a secret his father had kept hidden.
While Adan and Myron are searching aimlessly for Dex, more towns and families are being attacked. Other family members of the Warriors of Ches have left their besieged homes, intent upon their own missions–but all with a common enemy: the Demon Vayle and his Dryden warriors. When Adan and the others find themselves together and on the same quest–to find answers to the betrayals and deceptions that have come to light–the adventures begin.
These are strong and believable characters who are heroes dealing with their weaknesses as they battle common foes. There is romance, friendships made and broken, odd alliances, suspense and suspicions and lots of action. Not all the answers are given in this book, which just makes you drool for the next in the series.
Armchair Interviews says: Great start for a new series.
Author’s Web site: http://www.ShayneEasson.com