Novel Musings |

Hope… surely a strange title for a book, an intriguing title, perhaps one that you would have to pick up and read? That decision is what our protagonist is faced with in this unique tale of a dead mage, his book, and the man who happens to pick it up. An entertaining read to say the least complete with magic, mystery and the depths one will go for knowledge and extending his own life.

Jennifer Greylyn tells an enchanting tale of a loner who happens upon the chance to cash in quick, when a bartender asks for his help in arranging and taking care of the burial of one of her tenants who passed away in one of her rooms. Seeing an opportunity to make some easy money as well as securing a room for himself, the loner agrees to help with the burial of the tenant Vuric. Only later, much later does he learn that Vuric was a mage and the strange book Hope that he was clutching in his death contains so much more than his words.

Jennifer manages to quickly pull you into the characters by the simple trick of never naming the main protagonist who is telling the story, allowing you to read the story as if it was you experiencing it. The story is quick paced showing you glimpses of events that shaped who the main character is while never distracting you from the current plot line. This story fully captures the feeling of a medieval city without once describing places or details that are not central to the story. An excellent tale from an unfamiliar name, that I for one hopes will continue to write new stories for us to enjoy.