I’m featuring three reviews of Merchant of Alyss, from Susan Essary, Stephanie Herron, and Eddie Gilley.

Merchant of Alyss is book 2 in the Legends of the Realm fantasy series. Book 1 is Emissary.

Susan Essary, on Goodreads:

“If you love a little mystery, romance, battles, and magic, woven into a captivating story, then you will enjoy this book immensely, as I did.”

Stephanie Herron, on Goodreads

Before reviewing the Merchant of Alyss I went back and re-read Emissary (Book 1 in the Legends of the Realm).

This second installment is just as enthralling and so well written that I am not conscious of the words, just completely engrossed in the world and the story (which for me is a mark of great writing, as too often I become distracted from a good story by the pedestrian writing).

The locations in the book are so evocative that I felt as though I was there – looking into desolate valleys, walking in the bazaar or riding a camel in the scorching deserts.

The world building is wonderful, and integral to the story, rather than overwhelming the reader with details, and the focus of the story is the people – some we met before such as Hyam and Joelle but there are also newcomers such as Shona, Fareed and Selim (among others).

What I love about the story is that these characters feel like real people – they have real depth and the struggles they face are not only against the evil they are opposing, not just physical battles, but internal struggles with their own emotions – temptation, guilt, disappointment, grief and anger, as well as excitement over success and developing new skills.

Hyam gains some surprising new allies as well as experiencing devastating losses and struggling with the need to sacrifice personal desires and feelings (even at great cost) for the greater good and the chance to succeed in the battle against evil.

I have just finished re-reading Merchant for the second time and this series is now definitely ranking very high on my list of favourites.

Eddie Gilley’s blog:

If I were a mage and had an orb, I would point it at Thomas Locke and blast him right now half way across the world!

Not because I am disappointed in the writing of the second book in the series, Merchant of Alyss, but simply because he hasn’t finished the last one yet and the ending of this one is just not right!

I won’t give up the ending, but let me just say that I don’t think you will be happy either for the same reason. The anticipation is too much to endure. The story is too great; we must have the conclusion!

Merchant of Alyss picks up the story of the hero Hyam after the conclusion of the first book, Emissary. In the second book in the series the reader meets some new characters and continues to learn the stories of many of the characters in the debut book.

As usual, those characters are well developed and contain complexities that make them lovable and intriguing.

The plot is woven delicately through their stories or maybe the intersection of their life stories forms a perfect plot.

There is romance, adventure, magic, and intrigue in Merchant of Alyss. If you really engage in good fiction, then I doubt you will be able to put this book down for long. Each chapter leaves the reader longing for the next and to discover what is just around the next ridge or beyond the next vale in the journey.

The thing I like most about the writing style of Thomas Locke is that I don’t read the book, I imagine the story. I see the colors, feel the air, cower in fear, and relish in the life that is described on the pages.

I read The Hobbit when I was in high school a long time ago and wondered if they could ever capture that on film. I was not disappointed when it finally was released. I feel the same way about the series being released by Locke. I know how I imagine the characters would look, but I hope one day that I will be able to compare my vision with the realized image on the big screen.

There is no need to read the first book in order to understand the journey the second takes the reader on, but if you haven’t read it, I think you will want to after completing The Merchant of Alyss. I would be willing to bet that if you read this one, you will be pre-ordering the third in the series as soon as you put down The Merchant of Alyss.

Oh, and Thomas, if you don’t hurry, there might be more than one orb blast coming your way!

Today, I’m featuring blogger reviews of Merchant of Alyss. We’ll start with Kate Donovan’s full review, published on her Fiction Aficionado blog, and move on to excerpts of reviews from Phillip Cole and Jasmine Augustine.

Review by Kate Donovan:

“It came to Hyam like a scent carried on a war-torn wind. But there was no hint of breeze within the city walls. Nor did he actually smell anything. But he knew it nonetheless, the electric potency of a spell not yet cast. He had almost forgotten how tantalising the flavour really was.”

To read Thomas Locke’s Legends of the Realm series is to immerse yourself in another world – one that owes its magic to Mr. Locke’s writing as much as it does the mage-force that operates within it. His writing is not just descriptive; it is atmospheric. For this, and many other reasons, Merchant of Alyss was a very engaging read.

When I say it was an engaging read, I do not simply mean it captured and held my attention. I mean that it is the kind of story that meets the reader half-way; the kind of story that does not explain everything to you, but draws you in to discover for yourself as you become immersed in the story.

I deliberately slowed down my reading rate in order to give myself the time to absorb everything in the writing, and even then I think there will still be things to take in on a second or third reading.

Hyam is a hero to the citizens of Falmouth following his defeat of the crimson mage (detailed in the first book in this series, Emissary), but while his physical wounds have healed, the loss of his mage-powers has left an ache that not many people can understand. When a dusty wagon full of scrolls arrives in Falmouth he is drawn by a sense of unleashed power emanating from an ancient scroll inscribed “Property of the merchant of Alyss.” As he studies the scrolls he discovers spells of warcraft – though no scroll holds a complete spell, and only two scrolls in the entire collection form a complete spell.

The morning after Hyam finishes sorting the scrolls he begins to be visited in his dreams by a dragon carrying a scroll marked in the same script as the ones in the wagon. Everything points Hyam towards Ellismere, the vale of woe; the place where the wasteland begins. But it is a long and arduous journey; one that will force him to face a heritage he has tried to deny, and may exact a high personal price.

Locke’s characters are well-drawn, and I particularly love the way in which he conveys the depth of Hyam and Joelle’s love for one another (but don’t worry, it’s not a ‘kissing book’!)

Shona was the other stand-out character for me – a strong young woman who experiences unrequited love but rises in the face of this to accept her destiny.

Although there is no specific mention of religion in this book, there are still some fine Christian principles woven into the story, most notably the idea that there is a greater good that must be considered outside of our own needs and desires, and that we can and must persevere in the face of hardship in doing what is right.

And just a warning – Hyam’s journey is not finished yet. I have to say I am partly relieved by this, because there were some moments at the climax of the novel’s action where I feared that things had resolved a little too easily. I wouldn’t say this novel left me hanging, but there are some matters that I am keen to see resolved. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the next part of the journey!

If you are looking for a well-written portal to another world, this is your opening. 5 Stars

“Hyam faces many challenges, both internal and external, and he has to reconnect with the fact that he has a purpose. Through following along with his struggles, we can see things that we face. He has to change how he looks at himself; instead of basing his identity on his abilities, he has to base it on who he is.”

–Phillip Cole’s blog

“Merchant Of Alyss is definitely what I would call epic fantasy. It isn’t one of those dauntingly thick paperbacks of years gone by, but it is an all-encompassing, all engrossing tale. Complete in 350+ pages and yet with the perfect, almost cliffhanger, ending to draw you onward in anxious anticipation for the next book.”

–Jasmine Augustine’s blog