Tower of Obsidian by L.T. Getty, review tour (GFT)

Tower Of Obsidian

By
L.T. Getty

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!”



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Author Bio:

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.

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GIVEAWAY

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  Please leave a comment with a valid e-mail address and your favorite fantasy creature (and a book title it appears in if appropriate).


Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here 


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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

“Tower of Obsidian” by L.T. is a fantasy story that follows the adventures of Aoife, daughter of a guard captain and Kale mac Tadhg as they deal with political maneuverings, mysterious foreigners, fantastical beings, ghosts and the demands of duty versus their hearts.  A centuries-old curse enmeshes the pair and those around them in a dangerous struggle that may condemn them to an eternity of suffering if loyalty and persistence fails to save them.



This intricate story provides an interesting look at the fallout resulting from broken promises even as it details a remarkable journey taken by three characters.  The contrast between those who faithfully persevere in their rescue efforts and the actions of a person who feels the need to comply with the dictates of his superiors by breaking his promises gives an eerie object lesson, especially as the fates of others are revealed.  Although I thought there were striking fantastical situations described, I struggled to become invested in the story because I think the characters needed a little more depth plus I was irritated by the underlying motives and the shifting loyalties displayed by most of the humans (unlike some of the faithful equine companions) and it never seemed to improve.  There is a fair amount of violence and a dismaying atmosphere of betrayal throughout much of the story and the layers upon layers of myths and legends that surround the mysterious tower plus the dismaying negativity that permeates the multiple peoples encountered during the quest made this a difficult read for me.  I think that there are great displays of the author’s imagination but I was not totally satisfied by the resolution of the story.