Wraith (Empire and The Hand Book 1)

Robert Allen
Johnson
Genre: 
Suspense-Thriller

FANTASY:  "The Ghost" works alone avenging his father's death. He turns in proof of the resulting dead imperial soldiers to the rebel commander, and the bounty money Tiro earns supports his family. There are calls for this 17-year-old bowman to join the rebels officially. When his mother is killed and his twin sister, Tara, is captured by the enemy, Tiro changes tack and is determined to find his sister. Meanwhile, Arach, a traveler, is on his way home. He and his steed are hounded by a dark amorphous form, and the reader learns that he is not a fan of the rebels.

 

This author has a distinct voice that is easy to read, with a good balance between description and dialogue. The narration focuses on Tiro and Arach in turn; each travels his path. They read like two separate story lines that have just started by the time the book ends. The reader may feel that they don’t get a chance to lose themselves in the story because the narrator’s attention shifts between characters every other chapter. They may even favor one storyline over the other. This installment does not have a romantic flair.

 

If the reader doesn’t mind a cliffhanger and enjoys a pleasantly unique writing style, this lead-in to a series may well fit the bill.

 

Heather R. Nielsen