Sarah Remy

Malachi Doyle is the King's Lord Vocent - a magus with the ability to communicate with the dead, and who relies on the assistance of the souls of the dearly departed to help him keep his kingdom safe. He is the last of his kind - highly regarded yet secretly feared by many - in his office as Royal Coroner. When he's sent to investigate a series of brutal murders in the isolated village of Stonehill Downs, he uncovers some dangerous and deadly sorcery and unleashes a killer who strikes close to home - much too close to home.

Avani is a newcomer to the Downs - one of the few survivors from the Sunken Islands - a victim of an horrifying natural disaster that swept her island home beneath the sea. Four years later, Avani is still considered an outsider living on the Downs - liked by almost everyone, yet she still values her solitude. She has innate and ancient magics of her own, and when she discovers the mutilated bodies of the first victims, she fears that the darkness which claimed them will return sometime soon. Avani's fear forces her to make an uneasy alliance with Malachi, reluctantly accompanying the eminent magus to somewhere far from home.

But Mal is distracted by the mysterious death of his mentor. Despite being present at his bedside, Mal still has his own troubling suspicions over how the the old man died. He is also haunted by his memories of the past - holding secrets within his heart that are best kept buried in his past. And Avani discovers several disturbing truths about the magus through her visions. She could free Malachi, yet first they must work together to save the kingdom from the lethal horrors that have arisen.

I really liked this story; it was a dark, action-oriented fantastic plot that I absolutely loved. Despite this being a very dark fantasy, there was still an inherently realistic element to the story that I enjoyed. Malachi and Avani are relatively similar characters, each wounded and flawed in their own ways, and unwillingly tossed together to save a kingdom that is not really their own. I give this book an A! and am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series; I want to know where the story goes from here.… (plus d'informations)

Malachi Doyle is the King's Lord Vocent - a man of many talents and very few fears. His responsibilities to king and kingdom are many: as protector, royal investigator and assassin, the trusted right hand of King Renault, himself. Indeed as the most valued asset in Wilhaiim, Malachi has become much beloved by the king, and truly indispensable. And until he met Avani of the cursed village of Stonehill Downs, Mal had always believed himself to be the last of his kind - a magus with the extraordinary ability to communicate with the dead.

When Mal receives an urgent summons to return home to his native province of Selkirk, he reluctantly sets out to make the journey. However, the kingdom of Wilhaiim is left vulnerable when the magus and his young page, Liam, are ambushed and seized from the bustling seaport of Selkirk. As the two hostages battle for their lives on board a ship bound for the fractured kingdom of Roue - a warring kingdom across the Long Sea - Malachi soon learns that Roue is a kingdom in need of its own magus; willing to resort to such desperate measures to acquire one.

To make matters worse, a springtime plague is spreading rapidly through Wilhaiim and decimating the population. While it is believed that the sickness is being caused by some natural contagion - and nothing more mysterious than that - the situation is no less dangerous in the realm of the fair folk. Beneath the earth the sidhe have been preparing for war; but otherwise have kept to themselves for the past year.

A year ago, a majority of the residents living in the village formerly known as Stonehill Downs were murdered, and the entire village razed to ground by dark magic. While many others believe the land is now cursed, Avani - one of the very few survivors - nevertheless has been working diligently with certain members of the sidhe to rebuild her home. However after she receives devastating news of Mal's abduction from his own home province, Avani reluctantly steps into his position as Wilhaiim's magus.

Her allies are few and treachery may surround her - but despite hearing a myriad of conflicting reports to the contrary - she is beyond certain that Mal is still alive. Avani's own innate talents tell her that much. However, while her powers as a magus may be wholly unreliable and completely untested, will she ultimately be able to use them appropriately - to keep Wilhaiim, as well as herself - safe?

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to Stonehill Downs: A Novel by Sarah Remy. While I was only slightly disappointed that the two main characters spent the majority of the story apart, I soon came to understand that this distance actually enhanced their separate storylines. In my opinion, this was definitely a dramatic sequel - one which moved the story along at a surprising pace. I was intrigued by this story and appreciated the further development of the characters. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and would certainly give Across the Long Sea an A!… (plus d'informations)

This is my first time reading anything by this author. Wow, this book took me on a long, wonderful journey of adventure. As soon as I started reading this book I was intrigued and could not wait to keep reading more. This was even before the story really started with chapter one. Everything about the characters, the storyline, and the travel across lands was great. Mal was rough around the edges but this is only because of the image he had to uphold. He had a lot of wisdom that he did pass along to his sidekick, Liam. For this fact, Liam by the end of the story had grown wiser and stronger. I enjoyed Avani as well. She did start out shaky as well but just like Liam, she grew by leaps and bounds at the end of the story. I enjoyed seeing Avani use her abilities. The fact that there was a deadly plague and that the dead could talk kept this story interesting and new. A nice take on historical fiction with a fantasy twist. I look forward to reading more books by this author. The title of this book may have the word "long" in it but there was nothing long about reading this book.… (plus d'informations)

Source: Requested from Netgalley
Original Review: Old Bat's Belfry

This is a story of two souls who were tailor made for each other. Though if you were to ask them, they would vehemently disagree. One is Malachi, who is the last known magus. A man who deals with the spirits of the dead. Then there is Avani who is a refugee witch, a loner and who, as it happens, can see both ghosts and visions.

Together they must fight off a great evil. One that threatens their kingdom. But first they must discover its source.

♦ My Thoughts. Sometimes it is hard to write a review of a good book. One that is not great but one that is not horrible either.

When you loved, or hated, the book you can't wait to pour out your feelings, impressions, accolades or complaints. There is passion involved. That passion gives your words wings.

This is a good book by a talented author. In my opinion, an author worth watching, but it isn't a book that elicited much excitement for me. Instead it was a laid back sort of read. One you might chose if you are not in the mood for a complicated, multilayered Epic Fantasy.

♦ What I Liked. This story tries to be several things and while it is focused on one thing or another, it does them extremely well.

When it is focused on being character driven, the characters come to life. Worldbuilding, for the most part, is the same. When the focus is on the plot, the story is mysterious, chilling, and riveting.

♦ What I didn't like. What this story doesn't do is combine all of that wonderful focus into a seamless story. It was alot like trying to take in a panoramic view. You never know where to focus your attention. And the sad thing is, I ended up wishing for more answers than I got.

The characters were great but incomplete. I got a taste of who they were and where they came from but only a taste. Why is Malachi the last of his kind. And how did he end up with his ghostly companion. Why is Avani all alone. She survived the destruction of her homeland at an age that was too young to have completed training in her craft. However, even though there are other survivors of her race, she lives apart. What is her raven and why does it spend so much time watching over everybody but her.

I got a glimpse of their world. Enough of one that I was intrigued but only a glimpse. I wanted to know so much more. What exactly happened to Avani's homeland. How do the local religious beliefs mesh with the practice of necromancy. What are the social, economic, and cultural traditions of this civilization. What is its history. The list goes on.

It is even possible that some of the answers were there but due to the way the focus kept shifting, I lost track. Often concepts -- like religious icons for example -- need to be subtly reinforced from time to time. That way you can stay in the moment without thumbing back through the chapters trying to remember what god was mentioned where or what tenet of faith is being applied currently.

It left me feeling a bit disconnected at times.

♦ Conclusion. In a way, the fact that I wanted so much more from this story is a compliment to the author. She did create characters and a world I was interested in. The ending was every bit as surprising as I had hoped. Once it is all said and done, I look forward to reading more of her stories.

Like I said. This is an author to watch...… (plus d'informations)