Would be a 5 star. Very enjoyable and well written, but i had trouble with the length of the book. I lost track of many characters and double crossings. So, by the end it wasn't very gratifying. ( )

I couldn't finish this one. Just didn't grab me. Too much exposition and pointless stuff going on. ( )

So, I will admit that after reading the Authors Note (in which McPhail tries to explain to the reader how to read the book and made me wince) and the Forward (which talked a lot about eye colour, yes they are blue, I get it. And a slinky woman awaiting the Lord’s ‘needs’ made me cringe), I was slightly apprehensive on embarking on this journey. However as soon as the first chapter began, it was like McPhail had tapped a whole new keg of ale and this one, instead of being flat and slightly stale, was bursting with effervescence and heady flavour. It flowed like nothing I have read recently, and seriously made me think about lowering the ratings of other books, just so this one stood out as being an exception amongst the many.

There are a hoarde of characters, races, religions, magic and intrigues to wrap your head around, but it becomes quite easy to delineate once you are pulled along with the characters and their quests. What makes it so engaging is that the characters know about as much about the world as you do, and you learn as they do, which is somewhat inspired (plus if you get the kindle editions, some of the races etc. are linked to a glossary if you are too impatient to wait for the characters to gain the knowledge along the way). Although it is epic fantasy, and it doesn’t stray to far from the genre, you can never really rely on the old good/evil character tropes of old. Sometimes who you thought were the upstanding or the dirty dirty characters, are not all that meets the eye. Even by the finale, you are still not sure what side you should be barracking (rooting) for, which is an absolutely genius way to get you to slide right into the next book in the series (Dagger of Adendidaeth). And to be utterly honest, that’s exactly what I will be doing. Lucky I am reading them after all the books in the series have been published, or I’d be foaming at the mouth.

I was really fascinated by the two lead characters Ean and Trell. They are diametrically opposed in their ways of gaining knowledge and insight. Ean, the rash young prince wants to know now, now, NOW, bugger the consequences, whilst Tell who knows nothing of who he is (ah the old amnesia trick), is willing to forgo everything except his sense of honour so he can learn through his journey. Which frankly made me irritated with both of them, but not in the ‘ye gods, why the hell?’ type of way, but in the ‘I love you both, and this isn’t healthy’ type of way. I was so concerned for both of them, which demonstrates how McPhail can convey her characters with a sense of depth ad emotion that engages the reader to no end. Even when you don’t necessarily like the characters, you still get a sense of why the characters are the way they are, not just they are because they are, which is where the brilliance lies.

The only thing that grated on me slightly was the reliance on world building around real world countries and stereotypes. French, English, Scandinavian, The Middle East and suchlike (with funky new names of course!) are quite bluntly planted within the realm. It is really the flows of magic and the Wildlings (or ‘magical’ creatures) in the novel which break the mould and stop it from being a simple trounce around a historic feeling Earth.

Two actually things actually! The names. I understand you need to get a bit fancy to show just how foreign some of the Wildlings are compared to humans, but sometimes remembering who Dha’bu’balaji’sridanai is, as opposed to Srivas’rhaka’rakek can be a bit unwieldy when you are trying to connect names with characters, especially when there are so so many to try and keep track of. Sometimes they are known by two names, which can get a bit crazy if you don’t have the Dramatis Personae handy. I usually abhor books that make you rely on DP’s, but I was willing to overlook it in this novels case however, because it was simply worth it. That is a testament to how fantastic this book actually is in my opinion. Even The Song of Ice and Fire series makes me want to throw things, but this didn’t.

The Kindle editions x-ray feature was sometimes a bit off the mark. Looking up what a nymphae was explained that it is a term for the labia minora. Interesting if the characters were indeed walking vaginas I suppose!

I could give a synopsis, but in the end, you have to just go with it. Anything I say to try and explain it will simply not do it justice. Plus, that’s why we have Goodreads or wherever your allegiances lie.

All in all, it was the cheapest ($2.59), longest (659 pages) but most enthralling fantasy I have read for a while, and I read a lot of fantasy. If this wasn’t indie published, it’d be up there with the greats. Honestly.
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Melissa McPhail is a name that should be spoken in context with the likes of Tolkien, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, Stephen Donaldson or Terry Brooks. Like each of them she has crafted a new world(s) with meticulous detail that will, I am sure, earn her a place with them in fantasy circles. This is the first in a series of books (at least 4) that explores the Alorin world with its magics and Wielders, Adepts and kings, queens and princes, and elae and deyjinn. The plot is deliciously complex and the characters are wonderfully alive with intrigue and naivete as well as honor and deceit. The story moves along rapidly as McPhail builds her world and each character, weaving them into a tale that is epic in proportion and draws the reader ever more deeply into the story itself as well as the metaphors and mythology she creates. The gods intervene, but to what end? And mythical creatures take shape, but to help or hinder? And the balance that everyone seeks is elusive, and perhaps crumbling never to be restored. The writing is very well done making the story eminently readable and her shading of the characters is so subtle that she builds the reader's sympathy for them before the reader is even aware that he/she has engaged them. There are many threads to the story as plots and subplots rapidly dance across the main stage drawing all the players together until we suddenly realize that they are all part of the same story - and the fate of all humanity rests in their hands as they seek to restore balance. ( )

I usually like to start my review with a short summation of what the novel I am reviewing is about. However, Cephrael's Hand had so much going on in it, that even after finishing it, I find it difficult to sum the book up in a few sentences to give potential readers a good synopsis of the story. I will tell you that this novel takes us on a journey through many different lands in this world where we meet many different creatures from sundragons to shadows to pirates and even]]]] shapeshifters. We follow the journey of a prince and a man who cannot remember his own history.

This was a complex novel full of detail and description. Quite a longish book it sometimes seemed like it was two books contained in one, yet the two were definitely intertwined. Both mystery and adventure, there is no lack of action and intrigue in this novel. Someone is trying to kill the prince, but who, and why?

I found parts of the book to be very engaging, holding my interest very nicely and making me want to keep reading, yet there were also sections where the story seemed to lag somewhat and lost my attention. There were a lot of characters to keep track of as well. The author did a fair job of developing the characters of the main ones so that I could keep track of them.

It was very obvious that a great deal of time and thought was put into the writing of this novel. The influence of other great fantasy writers shine through. I gave Cephrael's Hand 3 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

This review was published on my blog Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2014/08/cephraels-hand-blog-tour-an... ( )