Book Review: Darkness Rising: {Legends of Marithia Book #2} by Peter Koevari

Title: Darkness Rising
Series: Legends of Marithia
Author: Peter Koevari
Publisher: self
Date of Publication: November 15, 2011
Source: ebook, 260 pages (received copy from author for my honest opinion of it)
Get Your Own: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:In the aftermath of the Battle of the Elven Woods, the two legends of Marithian prophecy are both dangerously close to the dark grip of death as Marithia suffers under the powers of the Blood Red Moon.
Vartan, prophesised to save Marithia, lays spellbound under the protection of the mythical dragons. The vampire sorceress Kassina, prophesised to bring about their Armageddon has been moved to the underworld by the demon lord himself, Shindar.
A seed of the gods has grown and their greatest gift to Marithians, Anakari, makes her fated journey to discover her purpose.

A former shining jewel of Marithian peace, castle Greenhaven, remains in ruins after its defeat under Kassina's forces and the elves rebuild their war torn city of Veldrenn.
Talonsphere must be found before Marithia merges with the Underworld and Shindar brings about the world's end

My Thoughts:
Please visit my review of the first book in the series here.

Peter Koevari does a fantastic job of world building in this novel.  We learned about Marithia in the first book, and yet I find that I am still being immersed in another side of it in this second installment.  This story has it all : noble dragons, loyal elves, fragile humans, and fierce vampires.  Yes!  I just said vampires!  That is what initially brought me to this series-the concept of having a high fantasy with all your classic characters but then vampires were added to the mix.  It definitely gives fantasy a new twist.
I really liked this idea but I noticed I had a hard time getting into the second novel.  There were parts that seemed to drag on and on without really getting to the point.  This was in the beginning but towards the middle and definitely the end, I found myself going, "Oh my goodness, didn't see that coming!"
Vartan is a strong male lead who is noble and always thinking of his country, his people, and his freedom.  It is filling watching Vartan make the choices he makes and the way he puts himself in the path of danger to save one person.  It was also crushing to see his reaction to Tusdar.
Speaking of Tusdar...wow!  He has been crucial to the story; much more than I thought he would.  I really liked him in the first book and so it is nice to see him still around in the second book.  I can't really talk about him that much because I don't want to give anything away, but he is in love just as much as Vartan is with his love.
In fact, we get to see the concept of love from both sides: good and evil.  It is a nice touch to a story that likes to blur the lines between good and evil.  I feel like there is a lot of the gray area in this story.
We also meet some new characters in the story and we finally get a small but explosive peek into what the gods really are doing.
I still find myself confused by the whole concept of the Talonsphere.  I understand what it will do, who needs to activate it (and who doesn't), and the reason it was made; but I guess I am just anxious for it to be brought to the front.
Nevertheless, there are so many surprising twists in the story you will literally be shaking your head, never seeing it coming.  
Darkness Rising is a high fantasy story that takes many different elements into consideration to take us on an  imaginative journey through a land that is on the brink of falling apart without its hero finding his true potential.
I give it four hearts.

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Review: Legends of Marithia Book 1 by Peter Koevari

Title: Legends of Marithia: Book 1 Prophecies Awakening
*The Extended and Uncut Second Edition*
Author:Peter Koevari
Series:Legends of Marithia
Publisher: Createaspace (self)
Date of Publication:May 23, 2012
Format: ebook, 210 pages
Source: I received a copy from the author for my honest review
Get your copy at: 

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Summary:
When her sorceress mother and vampire king father are brutally murdered, Kassina makes a pact with Shindar, the Demon of Darkness. In exchange for her soul, Kassina obtains power to become the most feared sorceress in all the lands, and vows to exact her revenge on the people for the deaths of her parents. Granted eternal life, Kassina and her evil are never far away. 
For many years, the humans and elves of the mystical world of Marithia have lived in an age of peace. But that peace is shattered when King Arman is slain by his own son, a pawn of the vampire sorceress Kassina. Arman’s murder sparks the most brutal and bloody war ever seen between the Forces of Darkness and the peaceful Marithians. 
In the midst of the conflict, Vartan, a young knight wrongfully outcast from King Arman’s court, reluctantly discovers he is the subject of a prophecy involving the fabled weapon, Talonsphere. In alliance with the legendary dragons, he finds himself with the opportunity to rid the world of Kassina and her dark armies forever, and finally return Marithia to an era of peace.

My Feelings:
This is one of those stories where I found myself knowing the antagonist was evil and horrible but...I felt for the losses she occurred before she became the evil sorceress and destroyer.
Yes. I pitied Kassina.  And yes I also know of the terrible things that she does.  But hey remember there is gray areas.
Legends of Marithia is a high fantasy with elves, dragons, knights, and then...wait for it....vampires.  I know right?!!
Mr. Koevari takes two genres, horror and fantasy, and combines them to create this awesome novel!
I have to admit the Prologue was one of my favorite parts of the story because it shows us the how and why everything started. So we get that peek into why Kassina decided to be the most powerful and evil vampire of all time.  Basically one action by some dumb idiotic fake king (I guess I was affected a little) set this war in motion.
There is a little bit of romance in this, just a little bit. That isn't really the important part in this story, though it is the binding emotion in the background,  love for your family, for you people, and love for chosen one.  I think loyalty is the emotion that I found to be the strong suit for many of these characters.
You have to give props to some of these people that gave their lives for those faiths that they believe in, including the royal family.
The plot was complex and had many different strands that connected everything together but still left questions unanswered.
The characters are pretty interesting to me.  Most of the time, elves are the ones I automatically find myself drawn to, but not in this story.  In this fantasy, I fell in love with the Dragons.  They are such noble, proud and smart creatures and they do not disappoint in this story.
Vartan, one of our protagonists, is a true knight in every sense of the word.  He grows as a character and I really liked the fact that he plays such a huge part in the story.
There are many other characters that are important and I am sure you will find one to fall in love with too.
All in all, this is a great mix of epic fantasy with horror sprinkled throughout that could satisfy fans of both genres.
I gave Legends of Marithia: Prophecies Awakening four hearts!

Review: Champion by Robert J. Crane

                                   Title: Champion (Book 3- The Sanctuary Series)

Author: Robert J. Crane

                                     Source: received from author for my honest review

Goodreads Summary:
The world of Arkaria is a dangerous place, filled with dragons, titans, goblins and other dangers. Those who live in this world are faced with two choices: live an ordinary life or become an adventurer and seek the extraordinary.

As the war heats up in Arkaria, Vara is forced to flee after an ancient order of skilled assassins infiltrates Sanctuary and targets her. Cyrus Davidon accompanies her home to the elven city of Termina and the two of them become embroiled in a mystery that will shake the very foundations of the Elven Kingdom – and Arkaria.


My Feelings:


First, I want to comment on the cover.  It is breathtaking.  The warrior standing in front of the window, the light shining in through behind him is beautiful.  If you have read the other two books, then you know that this cover is very symbolic with the story.  
I really like how the story starts out in present time, with Cyrus reminiscing about his time with the Guild.  We really get to see how he has matured through the many adventures he has had.  
This story has so much going on and Vara's big secret is finally revealed, which leaves me feeling sad for everyone, especially Cyrus.  
The fight scenes in this novel are amazing.  Crane knows how to craft the scene where you actually feel like you are there.  You can feel the fire from the wizards, hear the swords swooshing through the air; it is all just in plain sight for you to see.  
Another really good part is the dialogue between the characters.  They are funny, secretive, and sometimes a little bit scary; but everything to make a high fantasy story seem modern.    That is one reason I like this series so much it is set in a different world but it still shares some similarities with our own world.  
Cyrus Davidon, our main protagonist, always has a special place in my heart, but it is the "supporting actors" that really have captured it. 


Vaste the troll is hilarious!  He always has the wittiest comments and the most insightful thoughts throughout the novel.  


Aisling is a clever and seductive dark elf who I think could give Cyrus a run for his money if he ever did give her a chance.  In fact I find myself more drawn to the dark elves than the more snobby elves, except Vara.  


I am absolutely in love with Terian and I am looking forward to seeing him more in the story line in the next books.  


There is some romance in this story but this novel is by no means a romantic story.  Champion finally gives us a glimpse into what makes Vara tick and how she truly feels about Cyrus and the others in Sanctuary.  


This is a great novel with strong female and male characters, lots of magic and some huge losses that affect everyone.  


They meet new allies, lose old friends and make even more enemies-all in a day's work for the members of the Sanctuary Guild.  

If you are interested in this book click below to be taken to the Amazon page:

Click here to be taken to Robert J. Crane's Amazon page too.

Teasers, Teasers, and More Teasers...

I am reading Champion by Robert J. Crane and I came across a quote from it that was super funny I just had to share it.  Here it goes:

"She's a real peach.  One laced with arsenic, but still...a peach."

"Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, eh?"

J'anda's half- smile had turned into a smirk.

"Can you assholes stop talking in fruit metaphors?" Vaste's brow was furrowed in annoyance.  "You're making me crave pie."

I just adore Vaste!  He is a huge troll who is smart and most definitely funny.  

This is the third book in the Sanctuary Series.  If you are interested in Vaste or any of other other super awesome characters check out my interview with Robert J. Crane here.


And get his books below in paperback or ebook format: