4.5

Book source ~ BBNYA Tour

The Arc of Radiance has been protecting Tarsynium for a thousand years. Made of magic it keeps the demon horde from obliterating the last humans on the planet. Until the day some demons manage to get through. Ranger’s Apprentice Owyn Lund is the only one who believes the terrible things happening in the town of Forest Hill and surrounding areas are the work of demons. But then a mage’s ward shows up and she does believe him. It’s up to Zara Dennel and Owyn to convince the adults that what they say is true. Not as easy as it sounds.

There’s this group of rebels (there’s always a group of rebels in these stories) called the Nightingales and they are getting blamed for this horrendous demon rampage. Because can you say scapegoat? Except, not everyone believes it’s the Nightingales. Like Owyn’s Master, Ranger Elias Keen. Elias is also not convinced it’s demons, because who would? They’ve been gone so long that they’ve passed into legend. It would be like a teenager running from the woods yelling about a sabre-toothed tiger, but it vanished and no one else saw it. Who would believe such a tale? Regardless of who or what is out there they do know that people are being slaughtered. And that’s a huge problem in a kingdom that is mostly idyllic.

This is a rich world full of magic and sudden unexpected danger. Owyn and Zara are wonderful characters and there are some great secondary characters, too. I especially like Elias, but I suspect we’re meant to. There’s action and horror and a mystery to be solved. HOW are the demons getting through after all this time? I had a suspicion, but it was put to rest by book’s end. However, I’m now setting my sites on something else. I’ll be reading book 2 to see if what I think is what is actually going on. Or will I need to revise my opinion again? Hmmm…bring it on. ( )