Sins of the Past (The Darkness Within Saga #0.5)

I found this prologue to be more entertaining than the actual book, probably because the threads here all snap with energy and deliver a good final punch. There is a lot going on but the delivery was excellent for such a short work.

The revelations in this prologue aren’t covered in book 1 and will likely have a huge impact later on in the series. I can’t wait to see that happen.

Minor spoiler:
The only downside to this story is my total confusion regarding how someone got saved yet they were turned to ash. The bit showing this was too brief to clarify the order of events that let this be plausible. Everything else besides this aspect was well thought out and executed by the various factions.

I could barely get past the first chapter, then I gave up. Do authors read these reviews? If so, Mr. or Ms. Franx, hire a real editor. Your son is not up to the task. In the first three sentences of the book, a vein is opened and arterial (not venous) blood spurts forth. And the blood sprayed OUT, as though it were possible that it might have sprayed inward. And a “dominant ruler” is noted, as though hell were awash with rulers, but only one dominates. I want my 99 cents back.

I am a huge fan of fantasy so when I bumped into this story I was thrilled. JD Franx has created a magnificent magical world with well thought characters and made a teaser like no other, hooking me completely from the start. The author has clearly used a lot of time whilst developing the plot as even in this short beginning I could see the multi-layered storyline and am eagerly waiting what is yet to come.

The various characters and their communities, such as Dead Sisters witches and Broken Blade assassins, are any fantasy lover’s dream, the protagonist, Yrlissa, leading the reader deeper and deeper into the story with such an ease that in the end I found myself clicking the ‘next’ button over and over again until I realized there really was no more to read!

I really can’t wait to read the next installment in this series and since this was a prologue I seriously hope the part 1 will be out like today! Watch out fantasy authors! There’s a new talent in town and this one is a winner!

As a huge fan and author of epic fantasy, I can be a bit of a book snob. With that being said, I really liked this short little prelude to the Darkness Within Saga (which I am now eagerly looking forward to reading).

What I really liked about the story was that the magic system feels that it was really well developed for the world that the author is created. It seems complex, but is devastatingly powerful. Yet for all the power it offers, the characters can still find themselves vulnerable. I do have a few minor things about the story arc that I questioned, but overall I am still looking forward to reading more of JD Franx book’s.

This prologue for J.D. Franx’s Darkness Within series is absolutely stunning and terrific! From the opening scene with the Dead Sister Witches untill the conclusion, I was transfixed by the mesmerizing and multi-layered world that was opening up before my eyes. In contrast with my experience with many other fantasy novels, transport into this fantastic world seemed effortless, despite its complexity. The characters literally leap off the page and, in a very short time, I found myself caring about them and wanting to know what was going to happen next!

Yes, this little appetizer left me hungry for more and I await with great anticipation the next installment in what I believe will be a truly epic series. Most highly recommended.

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