Book Review/1st Chapter Reveal-The Lost Heir-Andi O'Connor

Book 1 of The Dragonath Chronicles, The Lost Heir, will be enjoyed by not only young adults but by their parents who enjoy fantasies as well. This is a well written fantasy about sorcerers, sorceresses and the human who has to save the earth from the powers of evil! A bit long for me but I did enjoy it even though this is not my usual genre of choice; and yes, I do recommend it.



About the Book: (from the back of the book)

Always a meticulous planner, Darrak Hunter leads a dull life until his dreams become plagued with visions of a peculiar and distant world. Waking up to a brilliant purple sun looming ominously in the sky, Darrak is met by a mysterious violet-eyed sorcerer who whisks him away from the struggling Earth.

Thrown into the clutches of a foreign world where magic is reality and not all is as it seems, Darrak embarks on a journey where he is forced to come to terms with his past and do what he can to shape the future. Accompanied by a talented swordswoman, a prince, and a beautiful young sorceress, he must overcome cunning plots of treachery and betrayal to discover the strength to stand against a destructive black magic and an enemy who is a master at deception.

This book can be purchased at Amazon

Chapter One

Mionee sighed irritably as she slammed the book shut. Knowing that she was quickly running out of time and options, she looked intently around the expansive candlelit room. She had spent the last week unsuccessfully searching through hundreds of books in the palace library in a feeble attempt to find one crucial spell. Although it was referenced in many volumes, she had been unable to locate the spell itself.

Before she had begun her search, she was positive the spell would be located with ease. However, after going through the entire library without success, her only remaining option was to search for a clue to its whereabouts. She was suddenly overcome with wearied frustration at her impending failure. The ceremony was less than two days away. Without this particular spell, all of her meticulous preparations would be ruined.

Mionee carried the book she had just finished searching back to its shelf and continued down the aisle, mindlessly scanning the hundreds of dusty volumes suffocating her with their oppressive mustiness. Though she had been this way numerous times over the past few days, she suddenly noticed something that had not previously caught her attention. Unlike the rest of the books in the library, which were arranged alphabetically by category, these were arranged by size. The largest books rested on the bottom shelf, while the smallest were housed on the top.

Curiosity took hold of her, and she began to meticulously search through each book in hopes that she would discover a clue revealing the whereabouts of the spell. Miraculously, her search did not last long. In a small leather bound book, its cover worn and faded, Mionee noticed that two pages were tightly fused to one another.

“Sefaleth ama glet ainat,” she whispered and watched with a haughty grin as the pages fell apart to reveal a diagram. Though it was ravaged by time, Mionee was able to decipher enough of the sketch to realize that it was a depiction of the palace library. Something seemed out of place however, and upon closer inspection, she noticed it contained a room that did not exist.

Following the map to where the room was supposedly located, she was greeted by a large empty wall that towered formidably before her. She immediately began to investigate the expansive white marble tiles and quickly discovered that she could not find anything unusual. Casting spell after spell, she tried to reveal any cracks, loose tiles, hidden doorways, or concealed levers. She even attempted to make the wall transparent, but to her dismay, nothing had any effect on the menacing white wasteland.

Perplexed, Mionee paused to look around the remainder of the library. For the first time in all her years, she stopped to appreciate the grandeur of the beautiful paintings and hand woven tapestries. Banners from ancient battles hung majestically from the ceiling, and swords from fallen captains were proudly displayed along the far wall. Candlelight from the golden sconces flickered up the walls and cast shadows that danced across the sparkling white floor.

The library was actually quite a warm and inviting place. It was purposely kept that way, doing its part to welcome young novices who spent much of their time surrounded by the towering shelves overflowing with ancient books. The section of the library in which Mionee stood, however, was quite the opposite. As she took in her immediate surroundings, she realized that the space was completely barren of any adornments aside from a soft golden carpet beneath her feet. A feeling of cold isolation slowly overcame her. Emptiness filled her heart, and her soul began to yearn for the presence of something comforting. Overcome by immense loneliness, she slowly sank to her knees, sighing with relief at the warmth and security the rug provided.

Sitting quietly on the floor, she felt the texture of the carpet with her hands and contemplated her seemingly impossible situation. The more she thought about the diagram and the hidden room, the more she became convinced that there was something she was missing. If the room indeed existed, as she suspected it did, there had to be some way to gain access. Nevertheless, it was obvious that no hidden secrets or well executed spells were going to allow her to enter.

Perhaps there is something protecting the room, she thought as she mindlessly toyed with the edge of the carpet.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a faint red glow reflecting off the wall that disappeared as she let the edge of the rug fall upon the floor. Intrigued, she stood and rolled back the carpet, revealing a small Halla Magic glyph. She gasped, staring at the glyph in fascination. Though Mionee had studied such captivating items, she had never seen one in person and was immediately attracted to its detailed construction and elegant design.

Halla glyphs were used as locking mechanisms, and each one required certain basic elements in order to function properly. The familiar symbol of three interlocking circles formed the center of the glyph which was neatly framed by three larger rings. Each of these rings contained three triangular points that faced away from the center of the glyph. With each ring a little smaller than the next, they sat perfectly one inside the other, leaving a few inches of empty space between each of the circles.

It was in these voids that the glyph’s creator was allowed to add their own personal touch. Because of this, no two glyphs were alike, and Mionee was mesmerized by the intricateness of the scrollwork this glyph’s creator had designed. Sitting there on the floor, she spent a few moments lightly running her fingers along the delicate artistry before finally directing her attention towards unlocking the glyph.

Through her studies, Mionee had learned that when a glyph is formed, the points on each of the rings are arranged in a particular pattern. In order to unlock the glyph, the circles need to be moved so the triangular points form the original configuration. She knew the center ring turned clockwise and the others turned counterclockwise, but nothing from her studies would help her in uncovering the correct pattern. It was simply down to trial and error, and she sighed quietly as she resigned herself to the arduous task of unlocking the glyph.

Tedious hours passed as Mionee formed pattern after pattern to no avail. She was stiff and fatigued with weariness, and the cold from the marble floor penetrated her body through to her bones. With every failed attempt, she became increasingly exhausted and devoid of any hope that the correct pattern would be found.

A single tear rolled down her fair cheek as she arranged the triangular points into another formation and watched as the glyph continued to glow the bright crimson red, signifying that it remained locked. She sat in utter dismay as the tears began to flow steadily from her striking violet eyes. They fell upon the floor with a delicate patter like the first handful of raindrops falling gently upon the outstretched petals of a flower. The desperateness of her situation hit her like a lead weight as her tears continued to fall. She had spent hours attempting to unlock the glyph, and was no closer to her objective than when she had begun the trying process.

Deciding to allow herself some much-needed rest, Mionee wiped the tears from her eyes. She was about to replace the rug over the glyph when another pattern suddenly sprung into her mind. Before she knew what was happening, the rings of the glyph were moving in a rapid whirlwind of fury. She stared at the glyph with growing anticipation until the rings finally slowed to a stop. The triangular points formed the pattern she had envisioned, and the delicate scrollwork of the glyph transformed from red into a brilliant white.

All of Mionee’s hopelessness disappeared as excitement flooded through her body. She stood and looked on in wonderment as the massive wall vanished, revealing the long forgotten room. It was only ten feet wide by fifteen feet deep, but the walls were easily thirty feet high. The ceiling was a beautiful stained glass dome featuring an intricate floral design in a myriad of rich jewel tones. Vibrant shades of red, purple, and green radiated throughout the cozy space creating an enchanting mystical ambiance. Thin black marble shelves overflowing with thousands upon thousands of books lined the walls from floor to ceiling.

Mionee walked around the perimeter of the room, tenderly running her fingers along the immeasurable conglomeration of dusty leather spines. She had no idea how many centuries this tiny chamber and all its contents had remained sealed and forgotten. The amount of knowledge that had been lost was completely overwhelming, and she could not help but crave the staggering amount of power she would gain once she was able to devote time to studying this impressive collection.

The only adornment in the room was a massive table crafted from the same black marble as the shelves. Though covered with a thick layer of grime, Mionee was able to discern the faint traces of an inlay depicting the Halla symbol of three interlocking circles in the center of the tabletop. She brushed away the muck and gently traced her fingers over the design. A relaxing calm swept through her body, and she knew in her heart that the spell she had been searching for was housed in this room.

As she stared at the volumes of books that loomed above her, she wondered where to begin her search. There is no better place to start than the beginning, she thought before walking to the front of the room and kneeling to investigate the books on the bottom shelf. To her dismay, she quickly realized that there was absolutely no form of organization to the way the volumes were arranged. It would take hours, even days, to locate the book she required, and she did her best to suppress a yawn as weariness overcame her.

After some deliberation, Mionee decided to quit for the night and continue her search in the morning. Just as she was about to leave, a rather large book on the far wall caught her eye. It was bound in red leather the color of blood and contained no adornments other than the title on the spine, which read, Nar Altac a Dranith.

“The Book of Deception,” she whispered, carefully easing the oversized volume from its place on the shelf. She delicately ran her fingertips over the cover and was astonished at the smoothness of the leather. Just like the spine, the front cover had no embellishments other than the title, and Mionee was enthralled by the unparalleled artistry and quality of the book.

The spine creaked in protest as she hesitantly pulled back the cover, breathing deeply as the familiar musty scent of ancient paper filled the air. The pages were in remarkable condition, and the incredibly compact and slanted handwriting was phenomenally clear and precise. As she flipped through the pages, she realized it was a journal from Payton Niemel, the sorcerer who had formulated Halla Magic. She was helplessly drawn into the book and could not even begin to imagine what fascinating pieces of information and history she would learn from the sorcerer’s writings.

Like a dry sponge hungrily soaking up all the liquid in a bowl, Mionee found herself breathlessly absorbing the journal entries as expeditiously as possible. Time ceased to exist as she was transported back thousands of years into the very life of the young sorcerer. She could feel his anxieties, ambitions, failures, and successes, and felt that she shared many of the same qualities as Payton.

About a quarter of the way through the journal, Mionee gasped as she began to read Sorcerer Niemel’s ideas for the spell in which she was searching. Her lips spread into a smile as she learned of his reasons for creating the spell, along with his thoughts on its usefulness to both himself and Halla Magic as a whole. She held her breath in anticipation as she turned the page and her eyes fell on the spell itself, Pelanta a Amné. Ruler of All.

Hugging the book to her chest, Mionee blissfully walked out of the chamber and returned to the main library. The magic from the glyph pulsated through her body as the marble wall reappeared, and the room was once again hidden from prying and unwelcome eyes. Her task was complete. She had found the spell she desperately needed.

The sound of her shoes clicking on the marble floor echoed throughout the palace as she made her way to the library entrance and continued on to her bedchamber. As she walked, the elation she had felt after discovering the spell was replaced with a suffocating concern. Mionee was now faced with the difficult part of her task. She needed to master the spell before the ceremony, and there was very little time remaining.



About the Author: (from Amazon)

Andi O'Connor is a fantasy author and freelance writer. Her debut novel, The Lost Heir, is now available on Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Andi's second novel, Silevethiel, is scheduled for release in October 2013. Awakening, the second novel of The Dragonath Chronicles, is slated for release in March, 2014. Andi is a member of the International Women's Writing Guild, the National Writers Association, The Association of Writers & Writing Programs, the Boston Chapter of the Women's National Book Association, and the online writing group Fantasy_Writing.

Andi O'Connor's Website

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