Awakening by D.N. Frost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book 1: Awakening by D.N. Frost is an unique, world-building fantasy structured around a prophecy in four movements. The book is mythical, almost dream-like, as the tales of various characters from different fantastical realms unfold and they meet to fulfill their destinies.
In the first movement, the fantastical tale introduces Larin, a young women with mystical powers of foresight and healing. She is sold as a sex slave to an evil elf, but is later saved by Jorn who later plays a pivotal role in the prophecy. From a desert region, another character, Tirrok, begins an odyssey and meets Kingard, a strong mage who drove all evil from the land in past times. And finally, the young Darek, a shape-shifter, joins Kingard to embark secretly to A’lara. It is here the empress has darkmages in her employ that slaughter shifters. The tales of the various characters weave together in the next three movements as the prophecy is fulfilled. The most ominous prediction is that one of them will rise as a daemon and betray them. Only the life forces of A’lara gives hope of overcoming the evil that has encased the city.
The world-building and surreal descriptions of magical feats are original and unique. For example, the healing powers of Laren are vividly described as follows: “Faster and faster, the light rushed until Laren felt her body eroding with the flow of it.” Maps are sprinkled throughout the book to give a visual image of the various regions. At first, I thought the prophecy of Vyedik Ndeloh Dynde is taken from previous legends, but I realized after doing research that the prophet was conjured in the author’s imagination. The story is told from multiple points of views which at time makes the story confusing, particularly in the beginning. However, Jorn and Larin are engaging characters when the story is told from their point of view. The climatic ending is fast-paced and takes unexpected turns. I recommend the book to fantasy readers who love world-building and vivid imagery of how magic works. D.N. Frost Awakening
Apollo's Raven 