George Bryan Polivka

This book picks up a few weeks after the previous book ([b:The Legend of the Firefish|1311496|The Legend of the Firefish (Trophy Chase Trilogy)|George Bryan Polivka|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182684008s/1311496.jpg|1300786]) back in the village of Hangman's Cliffs. Panna and Packer are married and halfway through their "honey month" (similar to our more familiar honeymoon). A herald arrives directly from the King, specifically requesting Packer's presence for the reading of a proclamation - a call to arms of all able-bodied men to defend Nearing Vast from the invading warriors of Drammune.

Packer is swept away again on another adventure, one not of his choosing and often broiled in political intrigue and manipulation. His conscience is at odds with his superiors' (and peers') perception of him as a hero. Panna is also subjected to manipulation and danger from the most unlikely of sources - her own sovereign prince. She stands her ground with conviction and faith.

The welcome surprise (or twist) for me was the return of Talon, whom we were lead to believe had perished in the first novel. Polivka has an uncanny ability to write strong women characters, something few male authors can convince me of. While Talon was the embodiment of evil in the first novel, she is a changed woman now. She discovers true love in humility and experiences the hidden power in weakness from another's sacrifice.

The entire nation of Nearing Vast, the supposed faithful, seem to represent all the is reprehensible to their faith. And on the other hand, the Drammune Empire is strong, conquering and apparently invincible, washing over the Vast fleet and later it's army in the capital city of Mann. It's a vast stage (pun intended) upon which we ponder "Is God testing Nearing Vast?"

For Christian fiction, this is a great story, without being preachy, putting real people in believable dire situations and watching them struggle, in all too human ways, with their faith and the consequences of their actions, both temporally and spiritually.… (més)

This was a great ending to this series of books. The author brought it all together very well and several things happened that took me by surprise, which is always a plus for me. This story was as the title states, a "battle" fought between good and evil by pirates on the high seas. There was no lack for adventure as you were reading. You had the Evil Hezzan of Drummun, the Firefish and the Achawuk Territory to contend with. If you started with this book in the series then you are going to be a little lost I think. You really need to read these books in the order they were written ("The Legend of the Firefish", "The Hand That Bears the Sword", and "The Battle for Vast Dominion".)

In this story Packer Throme is now King of the Vast Dominion and must lead his people and show them that his power comes from above. He must lead his small fleet into enemy territory and then it all comes to an epic end when everyone converges in the Achawuk Territory to take on the Firefish. What a battle! What an ending! This really was an excellent mythical adventure with alot of lessons to be learned and alot of truth being taught as you read. This was not my typical genre of books that I read, but I must say it held my attention and kept me captivated as I was reading. I would easily recommend folks reading this series.… (més)

This is book two in this series and I highly recommend you read these stories in the order in which they were written. Polivka writes this series with alot of action and adventure (and a little romance, which is something I always like in my reading). His characters are alive with struggles, failures, fears and hopes and what I thoroughly enjoy is how he weaves biblical truths into this fantasy world filled with pirates, dragons, and Kingdoms to conquer.

This book begins with Packer and Panna Throme, recent newlyweds who find the "honey-month" cut short when Packer must once again set sail on the high seas to protect his Kingdom of Nearing Vast against the evil Drammuns who have set sail to overtake Nearing Vast. The firefish once more play a big part in this story but with twists and turns I wasn't expecting. While Packer is gone Panna must await his return and try to free herself from the Prince who has her a captive in his palace.

I love pirates stories, but don't usually read alot of fantasy type story lines. This series though has captured my attention and kept me captivated and wanting to read book 3 to see how this story will end!… (més)

Two things intrigued me about this series before I even started to read them. One was the covers on the books which I thought were very well done, and two was the fact that my daughter-in-law knew the author. My two sons always give me a hard time about all the romance stories I read and said I should step outside by box every now and then, and I think this series was a step for me (although it did have a little romance in it). If you like a good pirate adventure as well as fantasy and a well-told tale, then this story will grab you from the beginning. There are sea monsters to slay, battles on the sea to be fought and pirates all over the place. But what really made an impact was the way ones faith and beliefs were woven into the story in such a realistic and though provoking way.

Packer Throme lives in a little fishing village and feels the need to stow away on a notorious pirate ship to hunt the legendary Firefish. He leaves behind his "true love", Panna, not knowing she will embark on a quest to find him on her own. She too will encounter a dangerous adventure on land.

This was a story that clearly had good guys and bad guys, adventure and alot of action. It wasn't my usual story line, but I must say it had me staying up late just to be able to finish the book and see what would happen next. I will continue to read the rest of the books in this series and see what happens next.… (més)