Saturday, December 31, 2011

QUICK REVIEW: "The Lilean Chronicles: Redemption" - by Merita King


THE LILEAN CHRONICLES: REDEMPTION
by Merita King

REVIEWED BY: Ellen Fritz

OVERVIEW
Two ancient prophecies, both foretelling the extinction of a race. Two sides racing to their appointment with destiny. A terrible tide of evil laying waste to their world. So much rage, fear and a baby crying. A single baby prophesied to save Lilea and many other worlds from extinction by the Transmortal Army. One single man who will bring an end to the evil that almost wiped them out and in doing so, save many worlds from their darkness. Vincent worries for his sanity as he suffers the nightmares and hears the voices in the dreams. As he battles with the nightmares and the source of the voices in the dreams is revealed, he begins to discover his destiny and finds that there are other forces at work against him. 

Many worlds away Farra discovers her part in his great task. Can she survive the terrors that lurk in the tunnels and can she unmask the mysterious killer? The ancient spirit people take them on a journey through space and time as they both race from world to world to meet their date with destiny and fulfil the prophecy.

REVIEW

This book is set in a futuristic world where travelling from planet to planet and even between planetary systems is an everyday occurrence. The main character, Farra, is chosen for a task which will require courage and self sacrifice. Having grown up during the reconstruction on earth and then joined the deep space core of the military, she is well suited for the job. The other protagonist, Vincent, also survived a life of hardship to prepare him for the monumental task which he must perform. Separately these two characters journey from destination to destination to reach their ultimate common goal which had been prophesied many centuries before. 

The idiom which came to mind while I was reading the story was: 'one good turn deserves another'. Both main characters show remarkable bravery, self sacrifice and a willingness to help others. This gains them the help and gratitude of the Drycenian nation and numerous others. Yet, despite their positive actions, they are still the victims of jealousy, revenge and suspicion. 

Although this book has a healthy dose of the usual technology and phenomena common in most space science fiction books, the author masterfully balanced it with a very appealing, unique and original setting.  All the characters are human with slightly differing powers and physiology, and not the weird beings so common in many space fantasy books.
The characters are interesting and well defined; the good guys highly likable and the bad guys really quite revolting and self-serving. It is a story so full of action, adventure and suspense that I just kept on reading. There are some truly beautiful, insightful moments when I found myself smiling and, sometimes, wiping tears away. The frequent changes in point of view, keeps the reader in the loop; always aware of what is happening on all fronts. 

I would highly recommend this book to young and old as a futuristic book with a unique flavor. It deserves every one of the 5 stars I am giving it and I am looking forward to reading more books by Merita King.

ELLEN’S star rating:  5/5

READ more REVIEWS:

“The Lilean Chronicles: Redemption” by Merita King has 2 reviews on GoodReads. Read it here - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13089757-the-lilean-chronicles-redemption 

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