Martyr's Moon by J.E. Lowder

Title:  Martyr's Moon

Author:  J.E. Lowder

Series:  War of Whispers #2

Published:  February 19th 2013 by WordCrafts Press

Page Count:  464

Genre: Fantasy

Shelf:  Review Copy

Rating:  ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The War of Whispers continues...

Five Stars for Martyr's Moon!
"J.E. Lowder has created an intricate fantasy world full of despair and darkness as well as hope and luminous beauty." Examiner.com

"Lowder's second book in The War of Whispers series is a great success and a must read. I found myself engrossed in the journey and dreaming about my own adventure." Amazon review

"Never was there a stale time in the read and the invention of new place, people and cultures not only inspired my imagination but intrigued my mind to totally engross myself into the possibility of being a character myself in the midst of the town of Hetherlinn." Amazon review

The story...
The Council of Ebon encircle the Cauldron, their grotesque features shrouded in shadows. With voices like ice shards scraping against stone, they disclosed their dark prophesy...

Mothers, guard babes: Fathers, draw steel,
Thunder approaches, soon blood on the fields.
Tempest of war, so black and so vile,
Spreads o'er Allsbruth; lament suckling child.

War between the dark nation of Ebon and rebel forces is imminent.
The Martyr's Moon rises. The blood of a storyteller is spilled.
Hope vanishes.
Yet in night, the King of Claire whispers.

My Review:

With this novel, Lowder jumps right in where the last one left off without missing a beat and without causing any confusion. His intricately built world and characters comes back to life from the very beginning of the novel.

Literature is always magical, but here, the magic of literature literally comes to life. With this novel you find yourself walking through a fantasy world beyond compare. It’s astounding. Lowder is a show, not tell, type of author. You don’t read this story, but rather watch the story unfold before you. He paints a brilliant picture of his scenery.

The different storylines wend their way further and further apart as each character is on his/her own mission. At the same time, they still remain connected and clear. Because of this the story has more sadness and more happiness than the 1st story. You can feel the story building and can begin to see the light shining at the end of the tunnel. The ending of this segment leaves you simultaneously in suspense and with a sense of completion.

You get to know Lowder’s well-developed characters even better in this instalment. The characters grow naturally as individuals through their many experiences and challenges. I love the various characters and races that you encounter as a reader. They are so well developed that you can picture each and every one of them.

With this novel Lowder brings you moments of suspense, of worry, of freedom, of laughter, and above all, of escape from reality. This is above all, a very fun and enjoyable novel. One note of warning, however, this is definitely one of those series where you need to start at the beginning and work your way through, but trust me, it will definitely be well worth your while.

Buy your copy online here today!

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Tears of Min Brock by J.E. Lowder ~*~ Giveaway & Review ~*~

Title:  Tears of Min Brock

Author:  J.E. Lowder

Series:  War of Whispers #1

Published: September 21st 2012 by WordCrafts Press 

(first published April 26th 2011)

Page Count:  388

Genre:  Fantasy

Shelf:  Review Copy

Rating:  ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"A whisper pierced the winds...the War of Whispers has begun."

Five Star Reviews!
"I give it far more than the usual five stars!" Opus 'N' Pen

"Fasten your seat belts this is going to be a wild, exciting ride. Mr. Lowder knows how to write a story that is full of suspense and action" Vics Media Room

"As the book began, I thought the characters of Elabea and Galadin reminded me of Katniss and Gale from Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games." Literary R&R

"This book gripped me right from the very beginning, and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it." Music, Books & Tea

Dark and brooding, Tears of Min Brock follows a young girl of 14 summers, named Elabea, who hears a whisper calling her to the shining land of Claire; a kingdom that was supposedly destroyed in the devastating Dark War. Outcast from her family and village, with her childhood friend, Galadin, her only companion, Elabea sets out on an epic quest to become one of the most powerful beings in the world - a storyteller.

Fans Want More!

" I can hardly wait for book two in this series." Vics Media Room
" Can't wait for the next installment." Amazon reviewer
"I found this to be one of my favorite books of the year, and am looking forward to the sequel. Lowder writes a story that does not disappoint." Tic Toc

Do you have the courage to battle the War of Whispers?

My Review:

Lowder creates an awe inspiring world in the first novel of this series. This world is a mix of medieval and the fantastical. It melds brilliantly in order to create a uniquely new and solidly built world as a backdrop for this awesome novel. It also has all of the usual elements of a fantasy tale – magic, war, fantastical creatures, character names that you’ve never seen before and will never see again, etc – but Lowder puts these all together with a twist. Through this tale he brings to light the importance of stories to spark the imagination in those of all ages, which is true not only in the story but in the world as a whole. It’s all about the power of the written word – something we experience every time we read but rarely, if ever, find as the subject matter for a series. Lowder also develops an intricate history of the land that is presented in the way of the bard. It is so captivatingly real that you feel yourself traveling through time with the storyteller.

The main characters in this novel are quite well developed. I enjoyed that they all started together only to travel on a few separate journeys. Yet, at the same time you have the feeling that they will be reunited in the future. By following their separate trials and challenges you get to know a great deal about the characters, the land in which they live, and the challenges that they face. I love that none of the characters are intrinsically good or evil. They all had their choice. They could choose which whisper to follow. None were forced. The battle of willpower was interesting to see, and the choice was left to each and every character: to fight for good, to fight for evil, to do nothing.

This novel was a brilliant escape from reality that kept me wrapped up in its brilliantly fabricated world with equally amazing characters. This is definitely a series that I’ll be following closely throughout.

Buy your copy online here today!

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