Greg Hamerton

EDIT: Free for Kindle users (4/25/13)

I really disliked the Swordmaster and couldn't feel any type of sympathy for him. I also felt that too much power was given to the Dark side without a valid balance on the Light. Thus the 4 start rating, which in my mind is really a 4.5.

This is epic fantasy with some nice twists. There is NOT a cliffhanger, and the 2nd book has been published.

Note to Kindle users, you can borrow these books for free if you have a Prime account. I started the 1st book for free, but in support of the author, I ended up purchasing it. I am borrowing the 2nd book now, but will again purchase if I get through the first few chapters.… (mehr)

Greg Hamerton takes on the epic concept of "good vs evil" in a big way in his novel, Second Sight, the second novel in his series Tale of the Lifesong. This novel is beautifully written, a little on the "flowery prose" side at times for me. However I know others enjoy that, so its not necessarily a bad thing. I simply prefer a more "simply" written book. Second Sight contained some of the most amazing world building, and the chararacters were compelling as well. Tabitha was inspiring and I laughed and cried with her throughout her journey. The "bad guys" were simply heinous!! You know that the characters are great when you have to sit the book down in anger from time to time! There was so much going on, and I was so fully invested, that I'm almost at a loss as to what may be a spoiler for someone just coming into the series. Every detail is relevant to the storyline.

I think Hamerton is certainly a strong new voice in epic fantasy. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to be utterly swept away into a story of epic proportions. I was quite honestly blown away by this book and cannot wait to see what new and amazing things come from this author.… (mehr)

I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy of 600+ pages (for those who tire at 300 pages, beware!). Personally, I loved the length, which gives the reader a chance to become immersed in the well-crafted world. Our heroine is a young woman with yearnings suited to her station in life; all too suddenly she is plunged into a nightmare and thereafter is kept off-balance as she struggles to cope with things larger than she ever imagined. The writing is good (almost no copy editing mistakes!), the characters are believable (even the nasty ones because we see their motivations), and we see enough of what's happening outside the small kingdom to feel assured the author will take us back for further adventures.

I was so happy to see complexity arise, rather than a simple good vs. evil motif. Not only does this lend realism, but will give readers things to ponder long after they put the book down. The pacing is good, with brief respites from fast-moving action (usually through description that further enriches the tale). The romance is handled very well, with both our heroine and her beloved beset by easily understandable doubts. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next installment of the saga.… (mehr)