Wednesday 3 August 2011

Xannu - The Prophecy (The Southern Lands Book 1) - Paul Dorset



Title: Xannu - The Prophecy (The Southern Lands Book 1)
Author: Paul Dorset
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2003
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

This book was actually first released back in 2003, however the author decided to release it in ebook format this year and it is due to this that I received a copy to review for my blog. The book itself has an interesting premise with a story that is spread across two very different realities. One of these realities is set in the typical epic fantasy world where Teern, an immortal warrior searches for the fabled Xannu and then there is our own reality, where a schoolboy called Terry is trying to live a normal life in England whilst receiving visions of Teern's life in the other reality.

After finishing the story I can happily state that this book is an excellent fast paced fantasy adventure story that both young adults & those of us who are a bit older will enjoy. The world created by the author is full of intrigue, thrills and excitement that I think should appeal to most. The differing realities do throw a little bit of complication into the storyline but the author has managed to write the novel in a manner that enables the story to flow very well between the two distinct worlds in an understandable way.

There is quite a large cast of interesting and different characters in the novel, but they are introduced in a well structured manner so that readers shouldn't get lost or confused. The various feelings and motivations of the characters were also well developed so that I found most of them to be believable. In addition I felt that most young adult readers should be able to relate well to the two main characters in our own reality, which hopefully will help any readers new to the fantasy genre relate more to the overall story as well.

In summary, this book was an enjoyable and well paced manner that didn't get bogged down by technicalities or unnecessary waffle. I think it will make a superb book for any families trying to introduce their younger members to the wider world of fantasy as the book covers both our own world and the more fantastical one. I know it is something that I would have recommended to my own children if they were old enough to actually read! Either way, I am going to make sure I pick up the sequel at some point soon as I can't wait to find out what happens next in the stories of Teern, Terry & all their companions.

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