It was good and exciting. The book has an interesting plot. I may pick up the next book in the series. ( )

This review was written for LibraryThing Members giveaway.

Genre : Grim setting and some fairly gory scenes but the protagonist's paladin-like dedication and good will untainted by cynicism (at least at this stage in his story) probably make this Heroic rather than Dark Fantasy.

The prose makes for great visuals but can be a bit clunky or even repetitive in some spots. I also wasn't too fond of how obvious and color-coded good/pure vs evil/corrupt were described to be, but the reader patient enough to keep at it should reach those later parts in the story which hint that there may be more to the Arbiters than D'Arden believed he knew. ( )

I'm not sure how good an IT specialist Mr Kellen is but he can certainly write a good story. Excellent adventure yarn. Arbiter D' Arden has been sent to the city of Calessa to rid the magical manna of corruption. D'Arden thinks this is going to be like any other cleansing, but he has a suprise waiting for him. Great descritions give for good visuals and this was an excellent way to spend the afternoon in the sun. ( )

D’Arden Tal is drawn to Calessa to purify the corrupted manna contained within it’s walls. The corruption is so bad that the land surrounding Calessa has died and there is a pervading chill to the air. D’Arden at first thinks that the vast corruption has come from a demon. With the help of the captain of the guard and a young soldier, Mikel, he starts exploring the different areas of the city.

In the high quarter, D’Arden and Mikel discover that most of the people have been turned into zombie like creatures and other have been kept alive for tortuous entertainment. The more he tries to purify the corrupted manna, the worse things seem to get.

Then he stumbles upon a young lady, Elisa, which is the last of a group of guards that were attacked by demons. D’Adren pairs up with her making her an offer to further her training if she survives. With a turn of events, D’Adren’s knowledge of becoming an Arbiter changes with Elisa. Will D’Adren be able to purify Calessa? What will become of Elisa?

I really enjoyed this book. I can’t believe that I didn’t read this sooner. What a great story with lots of potential for other books. I got sucked in when D’Adren first kills a fel beast at the gates to Calessa to Elisa. There were some great twists and horrible creatures that you just want destroyed.

If you like fantasy, this is one book that you have to read. I just discovered that The Corpse King takes place 60 years before this story is free on Amazon (as of 7/17/12). I had to get that and I have the second book, Legacy, on my wish list.

I received this book for free from the Library Thing Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I really enjoyed the book. I liked the characters, plot twists and the world created in the story. It is well written and well edited. And I would definitely like to know what happens next.. ( )