The Tainted Realm Trilogy – Book 1
A review by Steve Cameron
Vengeance begins with Tali, a young slave girl, is not the obedient silent type. And that makes her life in the subterranean camp. Ten years have passed since she saw her mother murdered, and watched as the assailants took an unknown item from her body. She has promised revenge on her mother’s killers, but now a powerful sorcerer is after her and can only be defeated through her magic – magic she neither understands nor can control. Fate brings her together with Rix, a young nobleman, who, by chance, also saw the killing occur. And as they flee, hunted by their enemies, the truth of the killing and other secrets are uncovered. Rix and Tali must learn to trust each other in order to defeat the sorcerer and save the kingdom.
I must admit to having agreed to review this book with some trepidation. It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve picked up a trilogy of doorstop fantasy novels to read for pleasure as these days I prefer shorter science fiction books or short story collections. (Who has time to invest in several thousand pages in the same world – only one of the reasons I’ve yet to pick up Robert Jordan or George R. Martin) Yet I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I lost myself in this novel and how much I enjoyed it. Ian Irvine is an Australian scientist, and I’m a little embarrassed that I’d not previously encountered his work. The writing is clean and precise, and fast paced, with beautiful description and credible dialogue. A created world that is interesting and believable.
I look forward to the next in the series. And in the meantime, I might even continue in the fantasy vein and start reading Game of Thrones.