Richard S. Tuttle

Although Queen Marta has secured the throne in Tagaret, the city is still not safe for Prince Arik. Remnants of the Council still seek to end the monarchy, and the city is riddled with agents of the Dark One. Even though it has long been expected, the march northward of the army of Lanoir sends shivers down the spines of everyone paying attention. As the forces of Abuud, Sarac, and Emperor Hanchi begin to converge on Tagaret, Prince Arik is forced to make a giant step towards his destiny to rule Alcea.

Meanwhile, the Mage discovers the shocking truth about the Darkness, a truth so unthinkable that it makes the rule of Sarac almost desirable. Delve into an adventure that it rife with danger, magic, deceit, and betrayal.

Molly Martin, Molly's Reviews

Spine tingling read ……. Highly Recommended ……. 5 stars

Talented writer Tuttle continues his spell binding Sword of Heaven series with another original segment of the tale. As with others in the series Tuttle includes both a detailed map of the world he has created and a recap of the Sword of Heavens narrative to date.

From the opening lines of Book 5 Emerald of the Elves when a resounding scream brings everyone to alert right down to the last paragraphs when the morning sun breaks across the sky the reader is held captivated. Tuttle continues his story line, subplot convoluted tale with a deftness not often found, transitions are handled with skill keeping the flow of reading smooth and without interruption as the captivated reader is moved from imbroglio to predicament .

By the time the reader is ready to begin Book 5 the characters are old friends. Readers are treated to more of writer Tuttle’s first class exchanges between various players, zestful action and pleasantly puzzling incertitude. Friction in abundance is present, handled with skill and resolved to the satisfaction of the reader. Dialogue between characters is believable, filled with emotion and downright gritty at times. Motivation behind character action is reasonable, acceptable and something the reader can feel themselves capable of accomplishing in a similar circumstance.

Zenith of the narrative was gratifying, the reader can anticipate this particular outcome without quandary or controversy. The Culmination was a natural outcome of the action in this well written tale crafted by a master story-teller.

Excellent book for a weekend home when weather won’t let you get out much, or a week at the beach.