I have to say on the whole I loved this book I really only have one reservation which I will come to later.  The characters are well written and complex, from the enigmatic Loren Tallis who holds their fates in her hands to the enamoured mortal Tarameen.  Tallis is a creature of fate, her very being tied into what she is destined to do.  The question of whether one can ever truly escape their fate is never a simple one and although Tallis believes she has found a way sadly only heartbreak awaits her.

The author has created her own world for this battle of powers, each side having its own special abilities.  I personally love the descriptions of the Loren dwellings hanging high from cliff edges.  The romantic notion of this type of dwelling is dispelled as we come to understand the reasons for this isolation and the political dimensions of this world where the few live at the expense of the masses.

The battle of power hangs precariously in the balance with Gods, Immortals and Mortals alike happy to betray, manipulate to achieve their own ends.   It is easy to see the word God and think of an all seeing powerful being watching out over his mortal children.  This is far from the case here the gods are self serving politicians using others in a living game of chess to achieve their own ends in an attempt to regain the upper hand in the power struggle.  The immortals by in large are grasping opportunists not satisfied by having immortality themselves the desire the two words that hold the power of life and death that the Loren guards.  Magic has become a means to an end and is more often than not wasted on those who have the gift.  The mortal Tarameen is an exception to this born of low parentage his natural ability singles him out but this is where my little problem comes in.

My only criticism is that this at times feels much more like a second or third book, while some of the questions are resolved I personally would have loved a prequel exploring the bond between the relationship between the Loren and the mortal.  That Tarameen is naturally gifted as a sorcerer explains part of why Tallis is drawn to him but I would love to have seen more of the way the bond between them grew.  I want to know what it was that made her decide to make him her apprentice and when they fell in love.   Likewise I would have loved more of Tallis’s life before the summons which changes their destinies.  I don’t necessarily mean the actual becoming immortal bit because some of that is revealed in the book but  more about her relationships with the other characters in the build up to the events.

I do still highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more possibly some of my unanswered questions will find resolution in the rest of the series.  Maybe I am just greedy and when I enjoy a book want more. This book cries out to be upgraded from a novella to a full blown novel.

Just a side note I have realised that if I keep tagging all the names of authors as I do reviews my tag list is going to get wild so instead I will tag the genres I think apply best and incase anyone thinks from my first reviews it is just a lovefest i will be posting some reviews I have done previously that didn’t fair quite so well.