Celestial warriors; cruel, fallen rulers; love's immortal spell; the ancient artifact that will break the curse over them all. The hallowed mountain was unclimbed, dangerous, and forbidden - but Ross Blair was unyielding. Sacred laws and their consequences be damned; he would not be denied his conquest. Yet Ross was unaware of the long-forgotten reason why no one was allowed to step foot on the mountain. Having fallen and now trapped in a deep cavern, cut off from the outside world, Ross has no choice but to go deeper into the chasm. The journey leads to the bewildering and mysterious realm of Shuk - a realm in trouble. To find his way home, Ross must rely upon a company of strangers and an immortal being. A mythological female warrior, spirits, winged soldiers, realm warriors, and beacons of light - all come to Ross' aid, but not necessarily to help him home. There is a prophecy concerning a foreigner who would come to reclaim an ancient artifact. The dark ones who rule over this hidden realm also know of this prophecy. As Ross now treads upon their domain, they will stop at nothing to ensure the prophecy remains unfulfilled. With a force of enslaved dragons and grotesque beasts, the stakes are high, and evil is unrelenting. If Ross can't face his inner demons and find the courage to wield a sacred weapon, what will become of this mysterious realm? Style: Reads like the bestseller Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', C. S. Lewis' 'Chronicles of Narnia', Martin's 'Game of Thrones', and Rowling's 'Harry Potter'. ______________ Book Review:
What a truly fantastic story It reads like something between The Chronicles Of Narnia and The Lord Of The Rings, with elements of Christian theology woven into an incredible tale without being heavy-handed. The expositions paint pictures of truly daunting landscapes, both in the real world and in Shuk, and the backstory really conveys the gravity of the task set before the protagonist. Ross walks through such inner turmoil, such grief, and the author sets you right in the middle of his internal dialogue, of his wrestling with his anger and his guilt and his concept of reality. Much of Ross' questions are the questions every person grapples with at some point in their life - what is real? Is there something greater than myself? How would I know it if there were? What's the point of everything? The reader can truly experience Ross' struggles with him, they are so universal to humankind. I loved learning about the world of mountain climbing through reading The Legend of Eloh. While context is provided for the terms and technical maneuvers, following my own rabbit trails and learning about what something like a "hanging camp" is - mountain climbing is an incredible sport Goodness I love that the author included that personal passion of his into his story, and it allowed him to convey more accurately how difficult traversing the various landscapes would be. Where so many high fantasy novels gloss over the plod of a journey, the author can get into the nitty gritty of what it would take to travel across scree or scale a sheer rock face. The fantastical immortal creatures in this world were described very well, and the artwork within the novel did a fantastic job of enhancing those written descriptions without fighting them for dominance within the reader's mind. The reader is also given a glimpse of the struggles of these characters as well - while secondary, they are given more than a cursory glance. Even the various antagonists are given depth into their decisions, showing that they are not evil just for evil's sake but that circumstances were set against them that made them who they are. A truly great book. The stage is set for the remaining two books in the trilogy, and I am anxious to read them and continue the story