Jamison Stone

** I received a copy of this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway. **

While I did enjoy much of this book, the characters especially, the constant reliance on dense descriptions and telling me every detail of the world around the characters, instead of letting me determine some aspects on my own or by just showing me some of what the characters are seeing and interacting with, brought my rating down a star. I love novels with dense world-building (I'm a fan of Tolkien, Martin, Rothfuss and Sanderson to name a few) but this one had just a bit too much descriptive building and I found my attention wandering at times. Still, it's a very good first novel and I may very well continue with the series, if only to find out what happens to Aleski and all the rest!… (més)

An apprentice practitioner of magic with powers he does not understand, a master who has abandoned him, a price on his head, an evil master who threatens him, a beautiful high priestess and a displaced but capable and honorable pirate who saves him…what more could a fantasy fan want in a book?

Rune of the Apprentice is a classic good-v-evil fantasy tale in which the rulership of the known world is sought by the powers of darkness. Aleksi is a young apprentice born with rune imbedded in his hand. He hasn’t a clue what the rune means, or and he certainly doesn’t understand its power. His early master, Rudra, has left him a cryptic letter outlining a path he should follow. The path is confusing and not well defined; more to the point, it’s dangerous…even life threatening. What Aleksi really knows is that he must find Rudra quickly if he is to survive the awaking of his rune, and he must learn about his family and their fate.

The story occurs on Terra, a world quite different from Earth. The characters are well developed and generally likeable, except for Luka Norte whom the reader will mistrust from the start. Aleksi is a confused sixteen year old teenager, who despite his confusion has the clarity of mind to respond appropriately to danger even if his recognition of danger is sometimes a little late. Domadred now lives as a pirate captain outlawed on most continents after being framed in a political power-play after his father’s death. He is, however, a man of honor who sees things clearly. Saiya is a young, beautiful high priestess with who Aleksi forms a bond while in dreamscape. It seems apparent that Aleksi and Saiya have an as yet undefined higher purpose.

Rudra, Aleksi’s enigmatic master seems to be universally hated; he is understood by none and felt to be a threat to all. Readers are not introduced to him or given enough information understand him in Rune of the Apprentice. Likewise, the role of the “academies” is never actually defined and one is never sure exactly who they serve and why.

Rune of the Apprentice is nicely balanced between inner rumination and action as there are plenty of threats requiring action and plenty of questions both between characters and within characters, some of which have no immediate answers. It is well written and edited.

This is a suburb fantasy adventure I couldn’t put down. It should provide hours of entertainment and adventure for readers of fantasy, or any lover of high adventure.… (més)