Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Seaborn-Chris Howard

Seaborn
Chris Howard
Juno, Aug 2008, $7.99
ISBN: 9780809572816

Not just born of the sea, Kassandra comes from Seaborn royalty as her grandfather rules the species. However, in spite of her regal sea blood, Kassandra has spent much of her living amidst the surfacer (land people) for she is unique as the powerful wreathbearer who possesses the spirits of her ancestors guiding her to free the Seaborn from her sadistic dictatorial grandfather whose weapon of choice to hold onto the throne is mass murder.

Four centuries of incarceration by the Seaborn has devastated the mental state of the previously unbalanced evil sorcerer Aleximor. He has finally escaped and taken control of the body of California surfer college student Corina Lairsey with plans to raise a new deadly force to destroy the surfacers and the seaborn. Kassandra with her family at her side must prevent Aleximor from succeeding, but Corina may be collateral damage; while also at the same time open up a second front war: a coup d’etat to liberate her people.

This is an exciting extremely graphic fantasy, which needs a warning label not to eat while reading SEABORN; Chris Howard is explicit with vivid violent descriptions to torture and mutilation. The story line is entertaining but driven by the heroine who ahs known since birth she has a quest to bear and now has no time left to learn her skills since her mission has turned out to be on two front. Readers who appreciate the realism brought to an epic “military” fantasy by broken bodies, blood and gore will want to read SEABORN, a well written opening saga.

Harriet Klausner

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