Imagine Fantasy wizards selling magical services from an airship that can allow them to travel. It's one of those concepts that a Fantasy writer naturally wishes they had thought of first!

 

This story is a new adventure for characters that we met in The Forever Boy, but stands well on its own for those who have not read the other story. Still I would recommend reading Forever Boy as it is a wonderful introduction to these characters and gives the reader the background of Furgo.

 

The story is rather fun and has an interesting and unique approach to magical curses. Despite some trepidation of one rather long name - Hissalumieon - the story flows well and keeps the reader interested. The rules of magic are well explained within the context of the story and used to good effect in the plot as it unfolds.

 

This was one of the best Fantasy novels I've read in a while.

The Wizard of Kharathad - Matia ben Ephr... *** An advanced reading copie of The Wizard of Kharathad by Matia ben Ephraim was generously provided to me in exchange for an honest review***

The author take you in a very appealing journey, with a great main character in a magic world full of beauty, adventures and mystery. It is very well written book, with very likable characters and a rich language that embellish the story even more.

But I have to say, I didn't know that this book was not an standalone novel. The Wizard of Krarathad is the first book in a series and some of the enigmas and mysteries remain unanswered at the end of this first book.

That been said, let's start with my opinion:

This is a book you can read for your own entertainment or, like I did, also to your kids in bed at night, because this is a beautiful tale whose basis is nobleness and kindness and whose hero is a really nice character, with a big heart and integrity, who transports you to a universe where truth and honesty really matters.

I loved the way the author based magic on the belief of God, in some form of another. And I specially loved something Gabriel teaches Dogalas about wizards: 'all men should be noble, virtuous and decent- but as wizards, we above all others must be an example to those few who are not.'

The problem for me with this one (and I emphasize "FOR ME" here) is the long descriptions and the extremely detailed narration. But of course this is, as I said, MY problem, because even though I read a lot, I have to recognize that I am a lazy reader. It happened to me with 'The Pillars of the Earth' and with 'The Lord of the Rings' books with a very high rate, so...
Fortunately, reading is a very subjective thing, and you probably will enjoy every page of this beautiful adventure.

I encourage to any fan of epic fantasy adventures to immerse themselves in this story of magic, elves, gyontar, wharlocks, dragons... In the world Matia Ben Ephraim has ingeniously created.

 Author: E C Myers

 

 Performed by MacLeod Andrews

 

 Released: November 2013 by Audible Inc.

 

 Category: Young Adult Science Fiction

 

After Ephraim’s mother believes she has identified his body after an accident, she’s grief stricken and attempts suicide. Ephraim finds her unconscious and slumped over the kitchen table when he gets home from school.  

 

While in the hospital with his mother the boy’s belongings are inadvertently given to Ephraim and among them he finds a strange coin that can grant wishes….except it doesn’t grant them in quite the way Ephraim expects and before long Ephraim realises the coin is much more than a ‘genie’ type object, it’s something a lot more sinister and convoluted. And he’s unable to control what happens after he’s made a wish. He’s the only one who knows he’s wished for something to change and the only one who remembers what it was like before. 

 

Things go horribly wrong each time he makes a wish, creating strange and frightening experiences and shifts, affecting and changing his life as well as the lives of the people around him. His best friend, Nathan changes completely when Ephraim tries to get the girl he’s crushing on, Jena to like him back.

 

An intriguing sci-fi plot with the visions of parallel universes and dual personalities. An interesting take showing how the same person can develop different personalities given altered circumstances. It’s a good point that Ephraim takes responsibility for the actions he takes and does his best to rectify things.

 

Thoughts

 

A very good, well written story with realistic teenage characterisation and all the teenage behaviour that comes with it.  Among other things the story deals with the moral issues facing Ephraim, such as making someone like you and so taking away their choices and changing other people’s lives to suit your own purposes. I like the plot twists and the ending and I’m interested to see where the next book goes.

 

 

 

 

 

So, Quantum Coin picks up the story a year later.  Ephraim, Jena, Nathan, Mary and Shelley are attending their prom when something peculiar happens. As Jena returns from the powder room Ephraim has a huge shock when he realises it’s not Jena but Zoe. Jena appears behind her with Mary and Shelley. As the friends wonder what is happening Nathan is being Nathan and recording the events on his camera…and he captures something truly bizarre.

 

 Ephraim thought he had finished with shifting through parallel universes when he and Zoe agreed to destroy the controller. It seems a normal life  wasn’t to be, the controller wasn't destroyed after all and Ephraim’s problems were beginning all over again. Nathaniel needs Ephraim’s help and Zoe has come to take him back. So Ephraim and Zoe, along with Jena this time, are thrust into another multi universal adventure.

 

Ephraim, Jena, Nathan and Zoe have grown and developed into more likeable, rounded characters. Ephraim’s romantic dilemma between Jena and Zoe is quite understated but never the less intriguing because the girls are different aspects of the personality.

 

 The friends find themselves in a pretty desperate situation with the universes merging and disappearing along with the people who inhabit them. Ephraim, Jena, Zoe and Nathaniel and their analogues are doing their utmost to sort out the unimaginable problems and it seems like it’s on their shoulders to decide which universe(s) survive. How can they condemn multiple universes and all the people who inhabit them to oblivion. 

 

Performance

 

One of MacLeod Andrews’ strengths is narrating young adult fiction, which he does with sincerity and credibility, always invested in the story and portraying the characters with feeling.

 

Thoughts

 

This book is much faster paced with lots more going on than Fair Coin and the scientific aspect much deeper and a lot more complex.

 

The Quantum psychics and the ins and outs of multiverses left me far behind, racing to catch up and knowing I can never run fast enough. Not that this detracts from the story at all, the characters are engrossing and the story compelling.

 

A successful hedge fund entrepreneur is on his way to meet his wife, who is pregnant, at the twin towers. Disaster strikes as two planes crash into the towers killing his wife and unborn child. He makes the decision that this can never happen again and decides to recruit the elite from the marines, secret services and government to set up an independent agency to ensure the terrorists never succeed again. Whilst setting up the agency, an Iranian businessman along with a Mexican drug cartel infiltrate the new agency by buying one of the board members, but when an undercover agent, from the agency, goes missing, then turns up dead, the bribed board member panics. What is the real reason for the link between the Iranian and the drug cartel? Can the agency find out who has betrayed them and discover the link? Is it a question of National Security? Can they react in time to save the country? For a real page turning thriller with twists and one which keeps the reader hooked, read this book. Billed as a thriller and page turner, the book definitely did not disappoint. The story kept me on the edge of my seat with no idea which way the plot was going to turn, which is exactly the type of book I love. The storyline and research shown throughout the book was first class, you really feel the emotions of all the characters and really getting a real gist of how both sides felt. The writing style used was very easy to follow and digest, therefore adding to the excitement and tension that was created. The storyline is a very topical one which will provoke discussion to whoever reads it. I believe this is the most important part of any novel, the discussions afterwards, and I believe this is a book which will be wildly discussed which will in itself builds a good novel and one which will live on and on. I can imagine each and every character as the author brings every one of them to life and you can imagine yourself in the background, whether it is the boardroom scene or when he is describing the ranch the hero owns, again first class and superlative. This is a book I will be definitely recommending, as a debut I found it to be absolutely amazing. I think I could read a lot more of the authors writings. A first rate, excellent and up to date thriller, which will, and should, cause a great debate about the issues of the storyline for a long time to come.

The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God. - New International Version (©1984)



Cristiano Stephen De Niro lost his wife Lisa on September 11, 2001 when a plane hit Tower One. after the tragedy, he relocates to Nevada with his sons. inspired by a passage from the Christian Bible, he acquires a counter-terrorism agency. ten years later, evil is afoot once more when Aref Sami Zamani partners with a Mexican drug cartel. Zamani schemes to launch another terrorist attack and the target is the city of Las Vegas. Cris and his team race against time to stop Zamani's diabolical plans or it could well be the "2nd 9/11."
this is a gripping read from cover to cover, well researched and skillfully written. it is a frightening look at a plausible scenario - a big "what if it happens again." the characters are three dimensional and the action does not let up until the end. there are tender moments as well that balances out the violence and menace in some of the chapters.
i had to remind myself that even though this was based on one of humanity's darkest moments in history, author Gerard de Marigny's book is pure fiction - an exercise in creativity and imagination. it is my fervent hope that it stays that way.



Disclosure of Material Connection: i received a copy of The Watchman of Ephraim from the author himself. i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was i obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.