I’m hugely excited to introduce my lovely friend Kirsty as a guest reviewer on my blog. Kirsty and I met at toddler group and became friends through a mutual love of books. Our kids are friends so we regularly meet up and natter about books over a cuppa and between breaking up squabbles. She is a brilliant addition to Over The Rainbow Book Blog as she reads different books to myself so between us we can help spread more book love.
Her favourite genres are fantasy and mystery and thrillers. She’s very happy to do blog tours so do feel free to approach her! Follow Kirsty on Twitter @purplekizz
Before I share Kirsty’s first review for Over The Rainbow Book Blog, here is a little bit about the book.
Book Blurb:
From the daring and critically acclaimed master of historical fiction Conn Iggulden, DARIEN is the first book of Empire of Salt, an epic new fantasy series of spellbinding imagination . . .
TWELVE FAMILIES. ONE THRONE.
The city of Darien stands at the weary end of a golden age. Twelve families keep order with soldiers and artefacts, spies and memories, clinging to a peace that shifts and crumbles. The people of the city endure what they cannot change.
Here, amongst old feuds, a plot is hatched to kill a king. It will summon strangers to the city – Elias Post, a hunter, Tellius, an old swordsman banished from his home, Arthur, a boy who cannot speak, Daw Threefold, a chancer and gambler, Vic Deeds, who feels no guilt – and Nancy, a girl whose talent might be the undoing of them all.
As the sun sets, their arrival inside the walls will spark a series of explosive events. Before the sun returns, six destinies will have been made – and lost – in Darien.
Welcome to the Empire of Salt, where sword and sorcery are at their finest . . .
Darien is available to buy in ebook and hardback now. It will be published in paperback on the 12th July 2018. You can buy or pre-order your copy here.
Kirsty’s Review:
Darien is the center of the crumbling Empire of Salt. Ruled by a King who is the puppet of the twelve families, the people of Darien are restless and forces are converging against the twelve. The first in what promises to be an epic fantasy series. I have never read any of Conn Iggulden’s previous books, I don’t tend to pick up historical novels so I was intrigued to see how this book would unfold.
I initially found it quite hard to get into – the first part of the book introduces us to several main players, the narrative switches between them, occasional during a chapter so I did struggle to remember where I was and what was going on. However, Iggulden’s writing style is so engaging that I kept with it and I am so glad that I did.
I found all the characters of the book incredibly engaging, each having their own reasons for wanting a change within the walls of the city. Each has a gift or a knack which makes them a little bit more than ‘ordinary’. Most characters had something likeable about them, which made you want them to succeed. I was particularly drawn to Nancy, a young woman trying to find her way in a city of thousands.
The main section of the book all takes place within the walls of Darien itself, I found these scenes very engaging and by the end of the book I found myself fully immersed in the sights, sounds and even smells of the city. I would have liked a little more world building as I ended the book feeling I knew very little about the empire itself, but perhaps this will come in later books. I am certainly looking forward to getting my hands on the next one.
About The Author:
Born in London, Conn Iggulden read English at London University and worked as a teacher for seven years before becoming a full-time writer. Married with three children, he lives in Hertfordshire. Since publication of ‘The Gates of Rome’, Conn has written a further thirteen books including the wildly successful ‘The Dangerous Book for Boys’.
In 2017, Conn Iggulden released the first book in his first fiction fantasy series, Darien: Empire of Salt.[10] This series is being published under the pen name C.F. Iggulden[11] to avoid confusion with Iggulden’s historical fiction novels.
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