Monday, May 9, 2011

The Chaos Crystal: By Jennifer Fallon

THE CHAOS CRYSTAL

SUMMARY

The magical Tide has turned and the Immortal Lords once again have their full power. The Immortal Lord Cayal welcomes this power as a means to an end--his end, preferably. Cayal has wanted to cease his existence for longer than human history and it looks like he might finally get his wish. Rumors swirl that the Chaos Crystal, the mysterious prism that brought the Immortals to the world, has been found. Cayal is determined to seize the gem.

Among those who search for this long-lost object is Cayal’s former lover, the very mortal Lady Arkady. She’s been captured by Jaxyn, a Tide Lord who is decidedly against Cayal and is seeking the Crystal for his own nefarious schemes. Arkady escapes, and is off on her desperate search…for if the gem falls into the hands of the Immortals, what will become of humanity?

The stakes are high, with mortal and immortal fighting to grasp this ultimate prize. Whoever holds the Crystal can decide the fate of the world.

REVIEW

Jennifer Fallon’s Tide Lord’s series is a must read for any lover of fantasy books. The plot is original, the magic intricate and fascinating, and the characters superb. And as the last in the series The Chaos Crystal is of course a must read.

The Chaos Crystal takes place where The Palace of Impossible Dreams leaves off (just a note if you haven’t read the other books in the series they are fantastic and necessary to understand the situations in The Chaos Crystal.) The story quickly moves from one shocking affair to another, ending with a conclusion that will leave readers stunned in their seats.

While the plot is fast moving and elaborate it was the characters that won me over in this series. Every character, from the leads such as: Arkady, Cayal, and Declan, to the smaller characters such as: Tiji, Warlock, and Elyssa, every character is complex, fascinating, and distinctive. But mostly Fallon does a fantastic job getting the most out of so many wonderful characters, making each of their actions vital to an intricate game of political maneuvering among the gods and their plans.

Of course what Fallon does fall down on slightly is the ending. I read the Australian version of the book as well as the newly released American version and she does rectify this a little bit by adding another important concluding chapter to the epilogue, but readers (myself included) will still want more from this astounding story.

Of course, when all you’re complaining about is you want more from the story that’s saying something right there. The Chaos Crystal and the entire Tide Lords series are fantastic. The characters well developed, the plot intricate and fast paced, and the story itself original. All in all a must read for any fantasy fan.

RATING
9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: May 10, 2011

Price: $27.99

1 comment:

  1. Another chapter? All copies I checked had the chapter where they fly and throw the thing in the sea as last chapter. Is it that one or something happens afterwards?

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