The Gods of Men (Gods of Men #1)

FANTASY:  Surina Imari is a talented flautist by age nine. When playing for the Sar’s court and his guests, she plays an unfamiliar piece, as though the flute is leading her. Upon finishing, everyone is asleep and her baby sister’s heart has stopped. She runs away to the village of Skanden and lives with the healer, Tolya. In the province of Corinth, the king is dying and Prince Jeric is sent on a mission to retrieve Sable/Imari, the healer, to restore him to health. The mission is easier said than done because there are many who are after this young girl with magical powers. She has yet to harness them, so they are useless, but this is unbeknown to the evil ones who pursue her. Once Jeric finds her, they have to fight the undead in several forms to get back to his kingdom. Will they complete the mission? Or will the undead triumph?

“The Gods of Men” becomes entrancing as one approaches the second half of the book where the real action occurs. Imari and Jeric are both innovative characters who use what is available to help them escape mishaps. The story begins slowly and fails to engage the reader right away in spite of the fact that there are some exploits. There is a plethora of minor characters that never develop past having a name and a few lines of dialogue.  Not a cliffhanger, but there are some unanswered questions at the end of the story.  Imari and Jeric have a lot of depth and their characters mature as the story develops.  Interesting, a good read for those in to magic and fantasy.

Belinda Wilson