Siege of Darkness: Guardian of the Seventh Realm Pt. 2

Tragedy strikes Zithel, and the city of monks goes up in flames. The Earth-Wizard Mazarian has disappeared, and the army of Asgoth has taken back the Wizard Crystals of the Elements, ready to deliver them into the hands of their master: the Demon Lord Abaddon, where they will be corrupted and used against the very elements they were created to protect, deforming the world to a blackened void. As Darshun Luthais—the chosen Guardian of Earth—emerges from the mystical Shajin Island, having completed his training, ready to combat the forces of evil, he not only finds himself in the center of this chaos, but is also torn in different directions. Part of him longs to obey the wisdom of the Elders by relocating the crystals and fleeing Asgoth, while his Nasharin nature thirsts for battle, eager to take on the many trials that stand in his way, keeping him from what he desires most, challenging Abaddon, the ultimate terror.

Having enjoyed the first novel in the series written by J.W. Baccaro, Prophecy of the Guardian, I was eagerly awaiting the release of Siege of Darkness, the second novel. In this one, the main protagonist, Darshun, has returned from Shajin Island, his training complete, and is stronger than ever as he continues on his quest to vanquish the Dark.

The action picks up from the start, and I dove right in, engrossed in the scenes involving the Dark characters from the previous novel battling the Light. The fight scenes throughout the book were very well written, and I really loved the addition of magical elements, such as the Nasharin's transformations. Speaking of which, I find the Nasharin to be such a fascinating set of characters, with very unique abilities, and now that the Guardian, Darshun, had fully developed his, I couldn't wait to see how he used his element of fire. He is still young, so he has a bit of cockiness to him (which is also, seemingly, a trait of his kind, the Nasharin), but the author did not overdo that character trait, and it made Darshun come across as sure of himself instead of having an inflated ego. It was very well done, and he makes quite the hero.

While there is a lot of action from start to finish, there are also moments that step away and have lots of dialogue, and even with several new characters that are introduced. There's a lot revealed in this novel. We learn more not only about Darshun, but also his nemesis, Abaddon, and none of it is overwhelming or too rushed; the story flows very smoothly and ended with my anticipation for the next novel in the series.


4.5 Stars

You can read a sample chapter here.
You can buy a copy here at whiskeycreekpress or here at Amazon.

A copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest review.  The opinions in said review are entirely my own.