To demonstrate this I would like to share two quotes. The first is from Second Sight – “she could appreciate the rhythm and harmonic resonance of life. It formed a single song: the lifesong.” ” The lifesong was like a fluid beneath a sponge; it soaked reality with vitality.”

The second is from Dr. Bruce Lipton, talking on the biology of belief – “all organisms vibrate, and all the vibrations collectively come together in a holistic understanding, to create a symphonic sound in a sense, that all life is this beautiful music going on.”

The fact that two completely unconnected people, working in vastly different fields, come up with such similar descriptions, is astounding to me, and gives it all a definite “ring” of truth.

The second tale of the lifesong is a fast, furious and complex adventure and it challenges your imagination. So be challenged, open your mind and read it. I truly enjoyed it.

While life in Eryi tries to rebuild itself, the Chaos that rules Oldenworld grows and spreads and the power of He Who Shall Not Be Named continues to grow while the Gyre try and recover themselves from their earlier battle. However there is a traitor in their midst’s who convinces the young (and very naïve and arrogant) Prince Bevn to steal his father’s crown, leave Eryi and make an alliance with the Sorcerer. In doing so he condemns his father to madness and pulls Tabitha into Oldenworld on the hunt for the Kingsrim. And so begins the epic adventure that takes Tabitha into the midst of Chaos where she has to save not only herself, her friends, Eyri and Oldenworld but also Ethea, the Goddess of Life and of the Lifesong, the source of Tabitha’s power.

This book continues the promise of the epic fantasy laid down by Riddler’s Gift and follows the story with all the dry wit, humour, tenderness, magic, mystery and mayhem (actually there’s a hell of a lot more mayhem in this one, unsurprisingly considering where they’re travelling through) found in the first tale. Once again Hamerton’s writing pulls you deep into the story so you feel everything as they experience it, every victory and defeat, every moment of honesty and kindness, treachery and deceit, love and hate and most of all every moment of battle between Order and Chaos and of course the power of the Lifesong. Hamerton has definitely created a world and story to rival Tolkien’s LOTR (although this will always be the original and the best of the fantasy world) in all aspects of story-telling, character creation, other world creation and sheer epic-ness (not a real word, I know, nothing else would do). The only question left is…when oh when is the third instalment, so subtly alluded to by Twardy, going to be out?

Tabitha Serannon has a hidden power, but to access this she needs to go through many trials and tribulations to discover her inner strength. With the help of an unlikely friend, she has to find her way. The Dark stands in the path she must follow but so does love.

This book was really gripping and one I did not want to end! I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

LU

GERHARD BOTHMA

MATTHEW RILEY