• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

  • Editing Services
  • My Books
    • Metaphysical Fiction
  • My Masks
  • About Me
    • A Contemplative Life
  • Blog
  • Contact

A great fantasy read: The Shadow of the Revenaunt, book 2, Zihaen by Paul E. Horseman

March 28, 2014 by Tahlia Newland

Zihaen (The Shadow of the Revenaunt, #2)

‘Zihaen’ is the second in ‘The Shadow of the Revenaunt’ series by Paul E. Horsman. In this book the author seems to have found his stride in the same way that his central character Ghyll has, and I hadn’t read very far before I realised that, unlike book one to which I gave four stars, this was a five star book.

There is a surety and a confidence in the writing and the world building is excellent. I truly felt as if these characters and this world existed somewhere beyond the author’s imagination. The plot is much less predictable than book one and even has some surprises, and the addition of a mystery character adds another dimension.  The balance of characterisation and action is perfect, and the characters are all developing as they should.

The only thing that didn’t quite work for me is the speed with which Ghyll finds a wife and falls in love, and the book lost half a star because of it. By having no story around how they get together and no time to develop the relationship before the young king declares his love, the author not only makes Ghyll out to be somewhat shallow—something that seems at odds with the rest of his actions—but he also completely misses the potential for the kind of romantic element that would enrich the book further.

Even so, this is the best kind of fantasy, one where a touch of humour balances the heaviness of the dark forces, so all is not doom and gloom. Our young king and his companions have dark foes, but they also have skill, discipline, intelligence, and military support on their side.

I am not going to say anything specific about the story, just that if you enjoyed book one in this series, then I recommend that you read on. It’s an excellent traditional fantasy and well worth a read. 4.5 stars.

Kindle US 

Kindle UK. 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Fantasy, Reviews Tagged With: fantasy, magic, zombies

« Cover reveal for Laura Kreitzer’s new series.
A story of self-empowerment: ‘Inceptio’ by Alison Morton »

Search

Recent Posts

  • Book Review – Dog Leap Stairs by Barbara Scott Emmett
  • How to Use Present Participles Correctly at the Beginning of a Sentence
  • An Interview With Author Catherine Ryan Hyde
  • 6 Benefits from Turning Your Book Into An Audiobook
  • Book Review The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis

View Posts by Category

Writing a novel? Feeling overwhelmed? Get new insight and inspiration with my FREE Novel Revision Checklist. 

DOWNLOAD  NOW

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Free Book Download  
Get Lethal Inheritance free when you sign up to my new release email list.  I won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at any time.

My Latest Books

  • Fallout: Recovering from Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism
  • The Elements of Active Prose: Writing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
  • The Locksmith's Secret
    Rated 5.00 out of 5

Alliance of Independent Authors

Alliance of Independent Authors

Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

I abide by the ethical author code

I'm an Ethical Author
Alliance of Independent Authors

Copyright

All material on this website is under copyright to Tahlia Newland and cannot be shared without written permission.

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • My Masks
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2022 · Amoré Theme by Oh, Hello Designs on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

FREE Novel Revision Checklist

Written a book? Need some help reviewing and revising it? Download my Novel Revision Checklist for step by step guidance.  

DOWNLOAD NOW

no thanks

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"120","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"7","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}

I am closed for holidays until Jan 24th 2022. Dismiss

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.