Friday, January 2, 2015

On Treason's Trail / Susan Stuckey


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Epic Fantasy/ YA

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Susan (Stuckey) has retired from the ‘rat race’ and currently writes stories she would want to read. She has mainly written fantasy, but dabbles in other genres also.

Always an avid reader, she wrote her first fantasy story on an Apple 2E – and lost it when the computer died. She resumed her affair with writing when the ‘nest‘ emptied and has continued writing (off and on–usually off) until the present day.”

You can learn more about Ms. Stuckey at her website or stalk her on Facebook.

Description:

“Guardian Mage Glason Telmar disguises himself as a pauper to track a band of ruthless killers. In his investigation, he uncovers a sinister, deeply laid plot threatening all of the followers of the Twin Gods. Glason must face the menace alone, but will his magic and Guardian training prove sufficient to pass this ultimate test?”

Appraisal:

On Treason’s Trail is a novella and part of Ms. Stuckey’s Tales of Aldura. This story includes intrigue, espionage, and double agents. This book was also my introduction to the ruthless Chorkan who are Kalieri citizens who have deserted the Twin Gods of Aldura to follow the Dark God, Urdow.

I appreciated the brief history at the beginning of the story, it gave a chance to reacquaint myself to the world of Aldura. Gason, a guardian mage, has gone undercover to unearth a plot that is much deeper than anyone suspects. The characters are all well developed and I found it easy to immerse myself in their world. The plot is intricate and there are a few twists to keep you reading. Ms. Stuckey has the magic in this world down to a fine art, you can see and feel it happening. I would highly recommend anything this author writes.

FYI:

Up until this novella I hadn’t felt like the other books needed to be read in any particular order. However, I think I would recommend at least reading Battle of Stryker Pass before reading this story since it is briefly mentioned.

Format/Typo Issues:

I noticed no significant issues with proofing or formatting.

Rating: ***** Five stars 

4 comments:

Wade said...

I've followed Susan's work for a long time and always found it top shelf. Great review and well deserved.

?wazithinkin said...

Thanks for dropping in and commenting, Wade.

Rush11 said...

Excellent review of an excellent novella. The main character reminds me of a detective mage - and I loved the mystery aspect of the story. Thank you for continuing to provide thoughtful and helpful reviews to readers.

?wazithinkin said...

Thank you, Rush11. Thanks for commenting. :D