Emissary - A Review

Published - January 2015, Revell Books, a Division of Baker Publishing Group
Series - Legends of the Realm Book 1
Author - Thomas Locke
Title - Emissary
Format - ebook, paper
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Hyam is an ordinary farmer. Or so he thinks. Until his mother dies right before his 21st birthday. Her final request sends him on a journey where he finds out that he isn't who he always believed he was. His search for answers brings him to a telepathic people who commission him to be their representative to the other nations. Yet while he is the emissary, his own powers are growing. Hyam seeks assistance from one of the wizards of Long Hall. There he discovers that long held secrets and myths are actually real. But an evil power is growing across the Realm and only Hyam ,with the assistance of the friends he meets along the way, may be able to stop it.

I enjoyed this fantasy novel far more than I thought I would. There were times that the writing was reminiscent of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or Jordan's Wheel of Time. But despite being very descriptive, I did find myself engrossed in Hyam's story. His past is a mystery that I'd hoped would be uncovered in the book. Parts of it were while others weren't. And so I was intrigued. I kept reading, even through multiple descriptions.

I've learned over the years that Christian Fantasy is really more of a hit and miss genre. Perhaps it's because this author, Thomas Locke, is a pseudonym for established author Davis Bunn that helped make this one more of a hit for me than others. Still, it ended up being a pretty fast read for me. I wasn't overly bogged down in pointless descriptions and there was enough action to keep me entertained.

I enjoyed the magic in this book. And the factors that made this a true fantasy book. While I didn't see obvious Christian factors like there are in the Chronicles of Narnia, I did see the good vs evil. I think my favorite part was when Hyam met the Elves. To me, that reminded me a lot of Frodo and Rivendell.

I think that fans of fantasy would really enjoy this book. I received the book for free from Revell Books for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of fantasy, Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Davis Bunn

Rating - 4 stars