Out of This World SFF is delighted to be just one of the many blogs participating in the Storytellers On Tour Book Tour featuring author Mark Timmony and his epic fantasy book, THE BLOOD OF THE SPEAR! I will soon be giving you a brief synopsis of the book, followed by my official review, plus some additional links to connect with Mark and his books.
But first! I'd like to mention that Storytellers is currently running an amazing giveaway in conjunction with this tour. One person could win a hardcover copy of The Blood of the Spear! And that's not all! A runner-up will also be chosen to win a paperback copy of the book! (this is an international giveaway)
To enter, just click this link. The winners will be chosen at random and the giveaway ends on Wednesday, September 1st at 11:59pm, so get those entries in now!
And now here is a brief description of Mark Timmony's THE BLOOD OF THE SPEAR, followed by my official review:
Book Blurb
Two brothers. One prophecy, A world in peril.
When Kaiel loses his chance to become part of the legendary Daemon Hunters, joining the Bronze Guard seems like the logical alternative. It is an opportunity to put his training to use and, more importantly, as the company is currently in the employ of Prince Alesandr, it will allow him to keep an eye on his younger brother, Darien, who's determined to follow his dream of becoming a Ciralys magic-user.
But the broken continent of Athmay still bears the scars of the war between the Summoners some three thousand years ago, and an unexpected battle with a daemon - a remnant of that ancient war - reveals the brothers' connection to a forbidden bloodline. Soon they find themselves on the run from the prince, daemonic hordes, and a prophecy that could break the world anew.
Review
This was another solid indie epic fantasy that although weighty, really scratched my itch for the nostalgic bricky fantasy tomes that I loved so much in the 90's. Mark Timmony's opening book in The Eye of Eternity series is a truly promising start to what I believe will be an entertaining and action-packed story arc up to the final climax.
I want to touch on a couple of elements that really worked for me with this book if I may. First, the characters are very well written and incredibly relatable. Being relatable isn't make or break, but I'm always way more invested if I can understand the motivations of the characters and almost feel what they are feeling as I turn the pages. Timmony does an excellent job conveying the tight bond of the brothers Kaiel and Darien and how their relationship is central to the story as they become embroiled in the overall conflict.
The other thing that I found really enjoyable about THE BLOOD OF THE SPEAR was the wonderful world-building. Anyone who knows me is aware that world-building is one of my top elements in what I usually look for in an entertaining fantasy read, and Timmony definitely received stellar marks from me in that area especially. I was completely mesmerized by the fantastic world that these characters inhabited and it lent a wondrous aspect to the story that made it that much better in my opinion.
The only aspect that sort of took away a bit of my enjoyment of the book was that at times it felt to me that there were a few stretches of inaction and slowness where I felt myself getting distracted. I quickly found myself back on track however, as Timmony always seemed to have a surprise or a cool battle scene around each corner. But I can't deny the fact that there were some moments where I wasn't completely sucked into the story as much as I would have liked.
All that being said, I had a fun time with this book and I'm glad that I got a chance to experience this absorbing world. If you enjoy fantasy with intriguing ancient prophecies, engaging characters, deep world-building, and magical artifacts, then you should pick up THE BLOOD OF THE SPEAR and give it a go. This was an entertaining journey that I'm so grateful that I took and I look forward to seeing where this story goes in future books. Put this one on your TBR, you won't be sorry!
Overall Rating:
About the Author
Mark Timmony was born and bred on Sydney's Northern Beaches. He's wanted to write for as long as he can remember and has several notebooks filled with illegible scribblings from childhood to prove it. The desire to write led to work as a bookseller and he spent almost a decade working as a genre specialist in Sydney. The Blood of the Spear is his debut novel. You can connect with Mark and his books online via his Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
And that concludes my stop on The Blood of the Spear book tour! Hope you enjoyed it. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to both Storytellers On Tour and author Mark Timmony for the chance to participate. There are many more awesome stops on this tour, so if you would like to check those out, below is the official schedule.
Thanks so much for visiting Out of This World SFF. I am always so appreciative and thankful for your support. Happy Reading!
-Nick
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