Books4Tomorrow: REVIEW: "CHANGING FACES" (The Lilean Chronicles, Book 3)

“CHANGING FACES”

(The Lilean Chronicles, Book 3)

by Merita King

REVIEWED BY: Ellen Fritz

OVERVIEW

An evil, ancient as time itself is inadvertently set free and begins to feed, threatening the Drycenian home world and all of her people with extinction. Vincent, Farra and Kyle find themselves once again called into duty as chosen ones to battle this new terror that has befallen their friends. As they struggle to understand what is happening around them, they find themselves also battling many more personal inner demons.

How can a man be in two places at once and who murdered the little princess? Can Vincent escape execution and can the friends find the mysterious spiritual leader who is the only one who knows how to kill an evil so ancient that it is thought to be nothing more than legend?

REVIEW

“Changing Faces”, the third book in the Lilean Chronicles, kicks off with Vincent and Farra starting out on their intended honeymoon on Drycenia. A honeymoon that becomes a nightmare when Vincent ends up accused of rape and murder and all this because an ignorant miner on a faraway moon could not leave a crystal, buried in a pile of ashes, alone. With the Drycenian princess dead, prince Toma mostly possessed by evil, the nation in uproar and their spirit guides once again partially cut off from them, Vincent, Farra, Kyle and Jam have to survive and, above all, win against all odds.

Every time I read a new book in this series I feel that it is better than the previous one and this one is no exception. The story takes off immediately and does not slow down until the last page. The suspense will keep you riveted to your chair as our heroes race to and fro across the gulf of space and take part in dangerous operations on various planets.

The author skillfully blends known space and science fiction technology with her own extremely inventive creations, thus ensuring that readers of both the si-fi and fantasy genres will want to devour her books. By working her world building into her story, Merita King cleverly avoids lengthy, boring explanations - an admirable feat as her fictional universe is extensive.

With every new book the well crafted characters are allowed to grow and develop a bit more within realistic limits. As the characters are never afraid to shed a tear or give a hug, I find the close emotional bond they have with one another very touching. New characters add a freshness to every new book and quickly endear themselves to the reader.

I highly recommend this more than 5 star read to anybody with a taste for space and fantasy related fiction but I would advise readers to get hold of the first two books in this magnificent series before reading “Changing Faces”.