In Wilder Lands: The Fall of Eldvar by Jim Galford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Tell me I am not a slave, but put a leash on me and I will call you a liar.”

Estin just wants be left alone, in a world where his kind are hated and thought of as slaves. Haunted by memories of his mother’s capture and his father’s beating, Estin struggles to survive and keep from being captured.

Until the day he meets Feanne.

Estin finds himself doing things he never imagined his kind of wildling to do: fighting and protecting rather than running and hiding. Feanne touches Estin like no other, and he breaks through her hardened heart, showing her that there is more to life than fighting.

While the war rages around them, Estin and Feanne, along with the rest of the wildlings, face difficult challenges of their own. Estin’s relationship with Feanne changes vastly throughout the book, though his drive to protect her and her kits only grows stronger. Estin puts himself into several heartbreaking situations, breaking himself nearly to the limit, and somehow overcomes these challenges and becomes who he’s never known he wanted to be.

There is no lack of humor, love, or confrontation; they are all blended into the story effortlessly to create a very real picture of who these characters are and what they struggle with. While the story is very character-driven, the attention to details within the world itself are not forgotten, giving the reader a vivid look at the world of Eldvar.

Galford’s writing is beautiful. His descriptions of the characters, the surroundings, the internal struggles, and the world itself are magical, transporting the reader into the story to walk beside these characters. Anyone looking for an epic fantasy should not pass this book by.

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The Beast Call by Anne Tibbets
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dray Rena is a typical girl in the town of Genua…mostly. Her secret, kept hidden from all but her brother, is that she can do magic. Feared among the others of the continent of Madis, those with magical abilities learn quickly to hide them or risk being burned at the stake.

Rebelling against an arranged marriage, Dray runs off with her brother Lurin to join the army, intent on bringing down the evil King Nuro. Dray, in addition to her gift with animals, also finds herself skilled with a sword, much to the chagrin of Lurin. The two once inseparable siblings drift further apart as Dray’s talents are called into service more and more.

The Beast Call has so much potential, and could be fleshed out either into a full-length novel or a series. As is stands, the novella is fast-paced and a good mix of action and descriptions. While I also would have liked Dray to have more interactions with the animals she called and further development of her relationship with Milikan, The Beast Call is a great read for young fantasy lovers.

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Before by Cambria Hebert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heven’s life was perfect. She is beautiful, popular, and just got voted cheerleading captain – all things that any teenage girl would dream about.

Then her world falls apart.

Sam’s life is dark. His only shining light is Heven, and the monster has forbid him to see her again. Even though he is anxious to escape the clutches of the monster, Sam can not forget about Heven. In his desire to see her ‘one last time,’ Sam inadvertently leads the monster right to her.

Before is the prequel to Masquerade and sets up the characters beautifully. The mystery surrounding Sam, and thereby Heven’s fate, captures the reader and draws them into the world, leaving them desperate for more.

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The Measure of the Magic by Terry Brooks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Take the staff.

Those words haunt Panterra Qu at the end of Bearers of the Black Staff. Alone, surrounded by enemies both known and unknown, and doubtful, Panterra finds it within himself to take up the black staff from the fallen Sider Ament. Faced with the task of learning how to use the staff to save his people, Panterra travels from his village to the Elves to the outside of the valley to seek out and eliminate the threats that close upon the Hawk’s heirs.

Meanwhile, Prue Liss is far from safe at home. Trapped in the ruins of Deladion Inch’s hideout, Prue finds herself not only a target for the trolls outside, but also for the ragpicker, a demon hunting the black staff. In her desperation to return to and help Panterra, she makes a bargain with a reoccurring Shannara character, and gives up more than she bargained for.

Picking up where Bearers ended, The Measure of the Magic concludes the duology of the Legends of Shannara in true Brooks-fashion: innocent youth struggling to cope with and rise above challenges that the unbelieving adults cannot surmount. The characters of Pan and Prue are finely crafted, bringing them to light in a way the reader grips the pages and can’t let go.