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4.0 out of 5 stars An epic journey has begun, June 5, 2011
By 
Scott (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Passage of the Acolyte: part one (Volume 1) (Paperback)
Passage of the Acolyte by James Vargo has a lot in common with the Lord of the Rings series. He has created an epic world filled with a variety of countries each with their own political alliances and prejudices. I will admit that I had a little difficulty keeping all of the characters and their regions straight at the beginning of the book, but I was good by the end.

They journey starts out when Greynol Arowen gets a letter bearing a terrible seal from a son that he never knew existed. Unfortunately that son seems to be extremely evil and aims to take over the world. Greynol picks up a group of young men who are looking for their first adventure away from home. He is reluctant to bring them on what will no doubt be a dangerous journey, but they are able to prove themselves worthy. Arowen sets out to confront his son bringing the group of young men along for the ride.

Their adventure is filled with richly detailed landscapes and a variety of challenges. There are many ghosts from Arowen's path, good and bad, that must be confronted along the way. Will everyone survive to reach their destination with such immense odds stacked against them?

The only criticism I could have for the book is that at times the pace really seemed to slow down with all of the detail given. I'm sure that is actually a positive to some readers, but it did take away a little bit for me. Still an excellent story overall and I look forward to reading the second book (which I have waiting to be read). Keep an eye on James Vargo if you enjoy truly epic fantasy because he can write an amazing story.

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