I was delighted to receive this through the Goodreads First Read program. I'm extremely new to the fantasy genre - I read urban fantasy often, mainly in series - but for straight-out fantasy, I'm as amateurish as they come. I had hoped this one wouldn't be too far out and over my head; thankfully due to writer's easy-to-follow style, I didn't have problems lagging behind. Even though the characters are from a much different world than I've read of, their personable and real traits made it easy to picture them as genuine and true.

The book grabbed my attention from the beginning with a clever hook and while action is never non-stop here, the characters are curious opposites. Garren and Ariana's relationship was one of the more catching plot devices I wanted to pursue. The strongest part of the book was the characters - the plot itself was also intriguing, but more of a set-up to more things to come, I think. The ending leaves on a huge cliffhanger, right on the very edge of a big event, leaving a small pause of dissappointment (I wanted to read the next part!)

With an easy pace, fun exploration of character, and a unique fantasy tale, I would recommend this one to fantasy readers - novice and newbies alike. ( )

I don't know where have I read that this book will be sitting in a shelf near Tolkien (?). Yeah, sure it will...

The setting is your typical good vs evil epic, a Heaven vs. Hell war with its kind of demon-like and angel-like creatures. Nothing new, but I liked the mythology the author has created for her world. So what happens in this book? We have Garren who is High Lord for the Ereubinians (the bad guys) and Ariana, an Adorian (the good guys) who is the lost orphan who knows nothing of her true destiny. They briefly meet and fall in love. The story is nothing surprising and it is quite clear what is going to happen in the end.

The novel shifts from Ereubus/Garren to Adoria/Ariana and so we are introduced to the peoples and history of these two realms and their main characters. We are supposed to feel that Garren is a truly evil guy and we are told of all the evil he has done and of his dark intentions once and again, but when we are inside his head or following him we see nothing of it. He didn't felt evil at all maybe a bit of a jerk but nothing more. Anyway, he is the more interesting character and with more depth and development than any of the rest. Ariana is meant to be the self-assured heroine who does not fit in her supposed role in society, but she felt like an spoiled brat who constantly makes stupid decisions. As for the rest of the characters, let me say that none of the Adorians had a very strong personality, they fitted typical roles such as the overprotective brother, the nice guy who is not getting the girl or the war veteran with the heart of gold. The Ereubinians were a bit more interesting but we don't see enough of them to have a better picture.

After having read more than half of the book, the weak characterization, some deus ex machina solutions that took me out of the story and the silly Ariana, I just didn't care enough for continuing with this story. Maybe Garren is somewhat interesting but him alone is not enough for keeping me reading for a hundred more pages when I am currently reading more interesting books. I may end this some other time but certainly not now. ( )

I really like Son of Ereubus. It starts out great and the book flows really well from beginning to end. I never got bored or lost interest. I was disappointed when the end came because now I have to wait for the second book to come out.

I would recommend this book. I love the world that was created and the Author did well explaining the different races and gives you just enough history to make you want more. I loved the characters and the changes they make in the book and how they interact with each other and I can't wait to see what happens to them in the second book. I rate this book a 5. ( )

In the expansive world Chancellor created, there are essentially two realms: Middengard, the human realm currently ruled by the demonic Ereubinians; Adoria, the angelic realm ruled by the winged (unless Braeden) Adorians. The Adorians and Ereubinians are practically at war with each other, and the humans of Middengard stand in the middle of this chaos.

At first we readers are tricked into thinking there is a firm line between humans, Adorians, and Ereubinians, and the three main characters -- Ariana, Michael, and Garren -- personally represent the conflicts of the place they belong to. Then Chancellor quickly avoids the easy route by blurring the lines.

The feisty, sarcastic Ariana, who is supposed to be human, surprises Garren with her strong, blue eyes. Not only can't he -- a person who is known for killing indiscriminately -- take her life, but he also can't take her soul. That makes her Adorian. Michael, who turns out to be her Adorian older brother, shoots her by mistake, and that's how Ariana ends up in the Adorian world she once believed with all her heart didn't exist.

Meanwhile, past the Ereubinian borders, Garren is feeling emotions he's never felt before, thanks to Ariana. This introduces one of the most complicating love stories I've had the pleasure of reading in a while. Chancellor has shown Garren's horrible crimes. Many of the Adorians, for various legit reasons, hate Garren with a passion. Yet Garren and Ariana -- most likely due to a prophecy and their past lives -- are steadily falling deeper in love.

Sometime's I'm for the relationship; other times, I find myself unforgiving of all the relationships Garren single-handedly destroyed with his merciless killing. Generally, I love that the romance never takes the story over, while also enhancing it and being of importance to the overall plot. Makes you wonder: is love something that must be deserved or is anyone 'allowed' to love?

The story ends similar to the first book of Lord of the Rings, in that there are many loose threads and much more at stake than when the story started.

In all, I really liked the story. I found the ending effective enough to make me excited for the next installment and the story itself interesting enough to keep me thinking about it when I had to put it down. I like my stories gritty, emotional, and clearly progressive. If the romance isn't complicated, I question its existence. Chancellor passed all of my tests (not that passing my tests really matters, since I'm just another opinionated reviewer). The only thing that bothered me was the various typos, but I think that could just be a first print issue.
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My name is Tiffany Cole, and I'm a book reviewer for Suspense Magazine. I am also an aspiring young writer. Savior of the Damned, the supernatural/dark urban fantasy novel I've been writing and editing for five years, is one step away from the agent/publisher hunt. You can find me in many places:

writergirllw@yahoo.com
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http://suspensemagazine.com/
thesavior.tk
tcole.tk
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