Book Review and Giveaway: Tower of Obsidian by L.T. Getty

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Tower of Obsidian by L.T. Getty, an epic fantasy of 354 pages available now from Burst Books.

This post is part of a virtual review book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. L.T. Getty will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. Remember, the more stops you visit, the more chances you earn to win.

BLURB

Journey back through time – to a kingdom where loyalties change hands and a duke plans to secure his kingdom through any means necessary, where oaths are broken and dismissed to forge new alliances, resulting in treachery.

Journey to save the one who was stolen from you – from the forests of the Emerald Isle to the icy waters of the Nordic New World. Journey by horse, ship, and wing.

Journey to the Tower – the Witch’s Tower that curses the people forced to serve it. Journey and kill the witch that plagues you and be free – face her dragons without becoming one yourself.

For the journey to the tower is only the beginning. Climb the tower and kill her; climb the tower and save her. The story has been told a thousand times, the only thing that is guaranteed to change is you.

EXCERPT

At first, he thought they were Vikings. Their attackers were large men with broad faces and full beards. He did not recognize their dark leather and metal dress or their pale, grayish skin painted white. It was late in the battle so their true color was easily seen underneath the smeared segments which weren’t spattered with blood. Braided into their hair and beards were the teeth and bones of both men and beasts.

Despite the chaos, he could see their ship, and then he heard a reptilian chortle from above. Not a sea serpent, but a great silver dragon, smaller than the ship he was on.

It rained down fire toward the sails. Several warriors from both sides were caught in the flames; some of who leapt into the waves. Kale took cover but was instantly dry; his back burned, for the corsair’s ship was already on fire, forcing him toward the ship’s stern. He had talked with Vikings before, their merchant allies, and even some captured enemies. He had tried not to listen to their pagan stories but became interested when they spoke of their ghosts.

One large, pale warrior was struck by a corsair’s blade, and he bled as dark as any man. Ghost or mortal, Kale had no idea, but the word draugr burned into his mind as he fought. He tried to remember the stories, but with what seemed like death battling him, his mind was of survival, not folklore.

The dragon then dove beneath the waves. He barely had time to parry the attack from a one–armed draugr. Parrying, Kale caught his scent. The warrior was no ghost. He’d received a cut to his head. He knocked Kale backwards, only for a corsair to shoot him from behind.

“Show them no mercy,” shouted the corsair. “I thought you were a great swordsman. Fight!”

MY REVIEW

Let me begin by giving the same advice that I gave people about The Girl with Dragon Tattoo: It starts slowly. Be patient. It's worth it. Trust me.

The novel opens with a truly magnificent prologue. One of the best that I've read in ages.

Kicking off in Killiath, Ireland (in 994), the story of the Tower of Obsidian starts off a little slow. It takes a while for the author to set up the theme and characters. That's not unusual for an epic fantasy. [There are many secondary characters and sub-plots in this story]

That said, once the quest gets going - it really gets going. Or should I say quests? There are actually two quests happening within the book. One quest is the adventure of a great hero (Kale) who is compelled to choose duty over love, only to be betrayed during his mission. The other is an adventure about a rebuffed maiden (Aoife) and a best friend (Aaron) trying to save someone who was stolen from them (the aforementioned Kale). 

Yup. The maiden attempts to rescue her lost love. She is not the rescuee.

Have you heard the phrase, "Go big or go home?" Getty goes big. I am talking love, dragons, magic, witches, misfortune and an ancient tower. Did I mention dragons? The twists and turns that bring the two adventures together are fast-moving and engaging.

What starts off slowly, turns into an epic tale that weaves a story of historical fiction, romance and mythology into legend. I especially liked the author's description of sailing across the the uncharted waters towards the Nordic colonies.

All in all, the novel is a promising debut. I would like to read more about Fianait's story (Aoife’s sister). Perhaps we'll get to see more of Fianait in another book.  

If I had to describe the book using books that I've read, I'd say Tower of Obsidian is Life Descending meets Lord of the Rings.  


Recommended for:

• Fans of Epic Fantasy
• Fans of Historical Fantasy

NOTE: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. See the tour schedule for additional stops.

AUTHOR INFO

L.T. Getty started writing in Junior High, having devoured far too many novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs as a wee one, then just about any other science-fiction and fantasy novels she could find. Her debut novel, Tower of Obsidian, is inspired by Norse and Celtic mythology.

Blog: http://ltgetty.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leia.getty

Buy Links:

Burst: http://burstbooks.ca/product.php?id_product=90 (This is the Ebook; print is also available)

Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Tower-Obsidian-L-T-Getty-ebook/dp/B00BAH9XSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394632445&sr=8-1&keywords=tower+of+obsidian

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tower-of-obsidian-l-t-getty/1114919470?ean=9781927454770

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/300308

GIVEAWAY

Don't forget! L.T. Getty will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Leave a comment below and you'll be entered to win. You could:

• Ask L.T. Getty a question about Tower of Obsidian or writing.
• Tell us what are the most important elements in good epic fantasy storytelling, in your opinion? 
• Share your favorite epic fantasy story.