Spring Blessings

Summary:

Asher Stone didn't want to be a hero. After spending two years recovering from an isolating drug habit, his life was getting on track. He had a girlfriend who he loved very much. He was holding down a job and had a repaired relationship with his mother. One day, Asher was attacked by a manticore that escaped the clutches an order of magi and his world gets turned upside down. Now, Asher is dealing with old temptations and new problems and a destiny that he has to embrace or the fate of the world will crash down on him. The only thing Asher can hope is that Blessings and Hope do spring eternal in this first book in a series. (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

I loved the story and enjoyed Asher’s character.  He’s not perfect, he’s actually a bit of a failure, but manages to come around as a hero anyway.  The worlds the characters live in are unique and vividly described.  It’s a great combination of mythology, urban fantasy and modern storytelling.  This is a review that is a little difficult to write because my few complaints are things that I believe other folks could very easily love. 

The thing I struggled with while reading was the story-telling method.  In the book, the writer speaks to the reader at intervals in the story.  This can work for me some times (think “The Princess Bride”), but in “Spring Blessings” I found it distracting.  I do want to point out, however, that I could certainly see some of my friends LOVING this aspect of the story and finding it fresh/new.  It’s just like having a narrator.  The book is slightly confusing in the beginning, but it’s worth it!  Just stick through the first chapter and things will start making sense.

Warning: Mild sexual content and violence

Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of Sage’s Book Tour.

Rating: 3 stars!

Who should read it? Folks looking for a non-traditional fantasy adventure tale.