Nikolai of Semar (Lords of Magic Book 3)


MEDIEVAL FANTASY:  Years ago, Nikolai of Semar rescued a young girl, Arianrhod, from a horrible fate and sent her away to safety.  He was never able to forget the little girl with the silver hair and often thought of her.  Their encounter stayed with the Dragon King.  Arianrhod felt the same. The Dragon King was never far from her thoughts as she grew to adulthood.  Now, she has travelled to Nikolai’s kingdom in the hopes of obtaining an audience with the Dragon King, as he is the only one who can answer questions about her past and may hold the answer to the magical curse that sets her apart from others. Nikolai holds the key to her past and to her future.

“Nikolai of Semar” is a well-written, engrossing novel.  The author does an excellent job of transporting the reader into her imaginative world filled with magical creatures. The protagonists and antagonists are all complex and interestingly nuanced as to their pasts and motivations.  The novel is well-paced and does a lovely job of creating emotional connection and tension throughout.

It is at the end of the story where “Nikolai” is at its weakest.  As the story moves toward its conclusion, the author introduces characters and plot elements which are never fully explained or resolved.  There is a lot of interesting material at the end of “Nikolai” that the reader would like to explore further.  Unfortunately, it is not clear in the context of the novel if this will happen in future installments, so the reader is left feeling a little unsatisfied with the ending.  Otherwise, “Nikolai of Semar” is a fantastic read and highly recommended.

Gwenellen Tarbet