Review: The Key of Amatahns by Elisabeth Wheatley

Summary-

Janir had the misfortune of being born with one of the hated Argetallams for a father. But unlike other Argetallam children, she was mostly granted a normal childhood, away from the rest of her family. It looked as if she would live a relatively normal life as the foster-daughter of a powerful lord. Until one critical day Janir’s powers awakened and she became entangled in a young enchanter’s quest for a long-lost treasure called the Key of Amatahns...

 

Review-

As you probably know by now, sci-fi/fantasy is my favorite genre. I've read many, many books about wizards and dragons, great quests and magic spells, swords and princesses. Therefore, I was excited but nervous to read The Key of Amatahns. No one likes to be let down, right? Luckily for me, it totally exceeded my expectations! The story revolves around Janir, a young woman who is heir to her father's fortune. Court intrigue brings about the death of her mother and the attempted death of Janir. Assisted by an attractive young male elf and a bumbling, whiny fledgling wizard, Janir attempts to evade her evil half-brother Lucan, ancient dragons called Mazags, ghostly knights and a murderous elven prince. The story is fast-paced and kept me completely engrossed. Oftentimes, I'll read a fantasy story that's long-winded with lengthy descriptions of mountains and trolls and multi-page odes to the gods. Elisabeth Wheatley possesses the wonderful ability to describe things such as the secret Vermilion Market and its colorful vendors in fascinating but tightly written prose. This keeps the reader entertained but not bored. Also, as odd and unusual as Wheatley's imaginary world may seem with griffins and enchantresses, she effortlessly weaves background information into the story so that I, as the reader, never found myself lost or confused. Sadly, this happens more often then it should in sci-fi/fantasy since the author often forgets that the reader can't see into his or her mind. The Key of Amatahns was adventurous, imaginative and a definite 4.5 stars.

 

Publisher-Chengalera Press

Reviewers Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewed by~Cindi

Thank you to the author for the donation of this book to the Read For Your Future in exchange for a honest review~