The Black Orb by Sabine A. Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Don’t mistake me for a lady, old man, or that might be the last mistake you’ll ever make.

Aria has been searching for her brother for several weeks when she finds out he’s been taken prisoner by the Queen. In her desperation to bring back her only family member, Aria places her trust in Bikkar after he aids in her escape of the guards. They head to the seat of the throne, only to find Aria’s brother has been put under the spell of the Black Orb, leaving him a mindless husk intent on serving the Queen. To rid the world of the Queen’s rule, Aria and Bikkar travel to the end of the kingdom in search of the Dragon Claw, a magical item to break the Black Orb – and her only hope at getting her brother back.

While the world was very detailed, the characters were very simple. Aria only wants her brother back, and repeats this often. There were few minor characters that could have been developed further that would have helped flush out the story, yet Aria was a strong character and Bikkar was a nice compliment to her. The writing was very smooth: the places Aria and Bikkar went seemed to come alive. The ending, while nice and tidy, felt abrupt or forced, the climax too-quickly resolved.

With wonderful descriptions of the surrounding world and enough action to keep the plot moving nicely, The Black Orb is a quick fantasy story that readers can get lost within its pages.

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