This review is for the entire series and will be posted to each book. I flipped between the Kindle and audiobooks for each book, depending on my circumstances, but the audiobook narration was so good that sometimes I’d listen even if I was in a position to read. I really loved this series and wish it had and was getting more press. Hey you word of mouth folks! Talk about this series! As an avid fantasy reader, I’m a bit embarrassed that this series has been around since 2012 and I hadn’t read it yet. Also, unlike some, it doesn’t feel aged.

This is a big and truly epic series. Each book is over 600 pages.

While there were some elements that I struggled with, for the most part these books hit me right in my epic fantasy heart. There was the coming of age, the new powers save the world thing, the quest, the evil ruler, the warrior woman, the evil church thing and other fantasy tropes, but I never felt that they were overdone. Pretty much every major character seemed like ‘real’ people to me—flaws, irritants and all. And they stayed true to who they were. While the ‘good guys’ weren’t all good—the bad guys were god-awful evil. Some right away and others with a slow and dreadful spiral into pure malevolence. I let out more than one verbal OMG and just as many laughs.

One of the things that I enjoyed was the fact that the series took place in a world that had enough shades of our own world to give the narrator and story-telling a (somewhat stereotypical) base offering the user solid frame of reference. IMO, it enabled the writer to skip long expositions of world-building. And the narrator took full advantage of that, doing a brilliant job on the Indian, Germanic, Italian another accents used—at least to my American ear.

The cast of characters was large and I had to go back and forth a couple of times to make sure I had the ‘right’ one, but it seemed like almost all of them got their HEA or just reward as appropriate. This man knows how to wrap up a series because things got REAL in the last book! It’s so enjoyable to walk away satisfied from a series end. You don’t have to love what happened to your favorite character, but you should walk away full. 😊 There may have been a couple of omissions, but I’ve filed them away in my head for my next read just in case I ‘missed’ them. Because yes, I’ll be reading this series again. For now, I’m moving to his sequel to this series—The Sunsurge Quartet (unfinished as of today, 8/2018).

The only think I could say that I didn’t enjoy in this book were the sex scenes, and I was thankful that they’d tapered to ‘not much’ by the last books in the quartet. But that may just be me. I never thought that fantasy needed sex scenes explained—I’m pretty much a fade to black girl for books and movies. The other adult aspect to note was the use of adult language, which frankly seemed realistic without being overdone.

All in all, I look forward to more from David Hair and have added him to my list of followed authors. ( )

Opnieuw een heerlijk deel in deze serie. De hoofdpersonen krijgen steeds meer diepgang en je leert ze steeds beter kennen. Mijn favoriet is Alaron en Ramon is een goede tweede. Ik ben reuze benieuwd hoe het verhaal verder gaat. Dus boek 4 wordt mijn volgende boek. ( )

Heerlijk vervolg op deel 1 van deze serie. De zoektocht naar een heilig artefact gaat door en Alaron, Cym en Ramita slaan zich manmoedig door allerlei tegenslagen heen. Door in deel 3. ( )

It took me forever to pickup and read the first book in this series but once i did i was thrilled to find a new fantasy author on my to read list.

This volume picks up right were the first one left off continues to be highly entertaining. Builds off the first book no letdown here. ( )

Open up The Scarlet Tides and the first things you’ll see are several gorgeously illustrated maps depicting the world of the Moontide Quartet. Needless to say, the maps became indispensable to me while I was reading. I’ve never come across a fantasy series with such a comprehensive and detailed approach to world-building. David Hair goes well beyond simply describing the different peoples and places -- what he’s created here actually feels like a living, breathing system. These books take place across two huge continents following about half a dozen characters of different creeds and cultures, with the alliances and conflicts that arise between nations forming the basis for multiple threads of the story and driving the plot forward.

Middle books of a series can also be mighty tricky; I’ve had enough disappointing experiences with sequels myself, which makes me understand why some readers would be nervous when approaching them. However, I jumped into The Scarlet Tides with no reservations whatsoever. This series has grown on me, as I stated in my review of the preceding volume, Mage’s Blood. The first book may have been slightly encumbered by a lengthy introduction and a slow build-up as Hair established the players and set the stage, but it all culminated into one explosive climax and conclusion. And I knew we were going to be heading right into the action with book two.

In this sequel, the Moontide is at hand and the mighty Leviathan Bridge now stands open, creating a corridor between the two continents Yuros and Antiopia, which are normally separated by a vast ocean. The last two Moontides have involved lofty ambitions and crusades of conquest, and this one is no different. Rondion legions and the Inquisition’s windships waste no time storming their way across Antiopia, but very few know of a troubling secret eating at the heart of their empire. A very powerful and valuable artifact called the Scytale of Corineus has slipped through Emperor Constant’s fingers, and he has tasked his inquisitors to scour the world searching for the ones who have absconded with it.

Enter Alaron Mercer, a failed mage who had the Scytale in his hands, then lost it to the girl of his dreams who stole the artifact along with his heart. Cymbellea, who believes she knows the best use for the Scytale, has taken it with the intention of delivering it to Antonin Meiros, the most powerful mage in the world. Little does she know, Meiros is dead, leaving his pregnant widow Ramita on the run from his killers. Several more story arcs run in tandem, including the one which follows Ramita’s former lover Kazim, who ends up with the mercenary Elena Anborn after a botched attack on Emperor Constant’s pureblood mages. Polar opposites in political sides and backgrounds, both nevertheless come to realize they may have a common enemy in Gurvon Gyle, the empire’s spymaster. Some comic relief is also provided by Alaron’s former classmate Ramon, whose storyline involves him running a pyramid scheme, all while his legion marches towards battle. Amusing as this is, Ramon’s point of view also gives readers a boots-on-the-ground view of looming war.

Everything and everyone is connected, the vast distances between the some of the characters and the spheres of conflict notwithstanding. And yet, despite of the sheer scale of it, David Hair manages to make his characters and their stories feel deeply intimate and personal. It’s another reason why this world feels so alive, with all its elements working in tune with one another. Nations and their diverse populations are woven into an intricate web of magic and religion, which are two sides of the same coin. Both play a huge part in nearly all the societies, and as more factions emerge from the shadows we see how much more complex the situation can get.

As things heat up, the net tightens and gradually we are starting to see events converge, bringing the various players closer together. We have betrayals, shifting loyalties, unlikely friendships, and even love. With a dramatis personae so large, it’s inevitable some characters will emerge as my favorites. In Mage’s Blood, the top spot went to Ramita, whose touching yet complicated relationship with Antonin Meiros made me enjoy reading her perspective the most. In this book, however, I came to relish the chapters that follow Kazim and Elena. It’s probably not a coincidence that my favorite storyline yet again involves two people from disparate backgrounds who begin at odds with each other, with the hostility turning to understanding, understanding turning to respect, and the respect eventually turning into love. David Hair has an incredible talent for writing these types of dynamic relationships, making them engaging to read without resorting to clichés and cloying platitudes.

He also does a good job giving each perspective character the attention they deserve. Every one of them has an important role to play, and nobody feels left behind or “parked” while something more exciting happens elsewhere. I learned more about the world from each person, whether it be through meeting Ramon’s new friends from faraway lands, or from Alaron’s encounter with a new race of sentient beings with an astounding origin. And before I could fret myself over how everything will come together, the climax converges most of these storylines, serving up a conclusion and epilogue that tie things up quite nicely.

Overall, an excellent follow up to the first novel, continuing the tradition of vivid, dynamic characters and terrific world building. The intriguing storylines kept me glued to the pages. I honestly found it hard to put down, which was how I ended up reading all 700 pages of this in a little more than three days. Readers of epic fantasy should definitely check out this series. ( )