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Sunday, August 24, 2014

Book Review: Lantamyra: A Tapestry of Fantasy- Susan Waterwyk


Publisher/Year: Createspace/2012  
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Romance
Formats Available: Mobi & Pdf 
Other Books By Author: A Tale of Two Worlds





The Juicy Stuff:

For the chance to journey to another world, Tylya Lansing is willing to give up everything on Earth, including her lover, Josh Hamilton. All she has to do is find her grandmother’s crystal scepter, lost for decades in a rugged Sierra Nevada canyon. Since she was a child, she has heard stories of Lantamyra, a world where magic is created with myra crystals, where mind expansion is granted crystal powers, where keepers and wards respect and protect life. Once the scepter is found, she journeys to this earth-like world that is recovering from an ice age. Areas of the planet have been terra-formed by the mysterious Keepers of Akosh to provide sanctuary for the endangered species of two other worlds—humans from Earth and dragons from Lanluong. She learns that Earth is about to experience catastrophic changes from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and Lantamyra may provide the only hope for humankind to survive. Tylya is determined to learn the ancient Akoshic Secrets of the Ways, a mind-expanding process necessary to control the power of myra crystals and to become a keeper of dragons. Excerpt from Chapter Five: Annoyed that her warning was shrugged off so easily, the queen brought her head close to Tylya. “You will pay for your training with your labor, but you will pay a higher price to become a keeper. It will change you in ways you cannot imagine…” Lantamyra is an intriguing story with plenty of drama, humor and memorable characters. Written for mature adults more than young adults, Lantamyra is not formula fantasy, no stereotypical evil villains. It mixes science and magic to make the crystal powers believable. The dragons are actually alien refugees forced to live on Lantamyra and the Keepers of Akosh are ancient beings who terraform living worlds. There are many exciting scenes but no extreme violence. Excerpt from Chapter Eight—Nightkeeper Kyra Starszyn: “This night belongs to lovers and dreamers, a night when threads of love are woven into a tapestry of fantasy...a night to magically transform into the character you wish to play.”

How It Made Me Feel:
I was very excited, starting out, to read this book.  I love fantasy, other worlds, dragons, and other mystical beings.  I easily found myself enthralled by the vivid descriptions of the gardens and of some of the dragons, including the jewelry they wore on their horns.  It was very easy to get caught up in the splendor and what almost seemed like magic in the book.  However, it was a difficult book to get into, having a slow start that abruptly ended before going straight into their new lives on Lantamyra.   I did enjoy the great variety of characters, especially the Irish blooded, but wished to hear more of the dragons that ruled the land.  

What I Thought Worked:
I greatly enjoyed how vividly and descriptively, Susan Waterwyk wrote the garden scenes within the book.  I found myself drawn into words, almost as if I was standing there sampling passionberries or redberries or even talking to the Fairies.  It was almost like my own hands were stained red by the juices and I could smell the fragrant flowers before I realized I was still sitting on my couch.  She did a wondrous job with her descriptive words and phrases.

What I Thought Didn't Work:
I wish some of the characters had a more developed back story, or at least a more attention was given to them in one location, than the jumping back and forth between characters I had read about.  I was very excited to read this book about dragons and the characters, only to find the characters a bit one dimensional.  I found it hard to really connect with the characters as they went through the story and met up with challenges and victories, as well as leading as normal as a life as they could on Lantamyra. I also felt, at times, that the dialogue between the characters was a bit juvenile for a book that was not in the YA genre.  I wish there had been a bit more conversation, or at least talks about heavier topics with responses that were more realistic for people of that age.


Rating


Why It Got That Rating:
I found that this wasn't a book I was overly impressed with.  After reading the blurb about the book online, I was expecting a world that would sweep me off my feet with dragons, mystical crystals, and an adventure for Tylya and Josh.  It was a fun read, and I enjoyed the descriptive qualities of the book, but it is not one I would buy for my own library.


Who Would I Recommend To:
I would recommend to someone who is looking for a read that they can start, but not necessarily finish right away.  I found this to be a book I could come back to after a short break.

Last Impressions/Remarks:
The book had a great idea and story line to back it up and I have hopes Susan Waterwyk will continue to write in the fantasy genre.  I enjoyed reading the story, any book about dragons is a must read for me. :)


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