Description
Book SynopsisFour teenagers are drawn from an Irish mountaintop into an enchanted land and gifted with great powers: but with power comes responsibility, and a vast evil has noticed their arrival . . .
On the summit of the fabled mountain Slievenamon in Ireland there is a doorway to an ancient land of terrible power. The gate of Feimhin has lain closed for centuries, the secret of its opening long lost - until four orphans drawn together by Fate pass through the portal and find the enchanted but war-ravaged world of Tír, a strange land peopled by beings of magic. Here death waits at every corner, and they must learn to fight if they are to survive.
And they'd better learn quickly, because their enemy, the Tyrant of the Wastelands, is growing in power.
'The best fantasy novel I've ever read . . . an epic adventure that just does not stop!' said Glenda A. Bixler on Authorsden!
Trade ReviewEnthralling. Not many books have this
cosmic ability * Los Angeles Times *
Ryan's grand epic style . . .
Passionate and
dedicated fantasy fans will find
a rich, immersive world and
carefully handled characters * Booklist *
Strong points
include ambitious world-building and
a sweeping scope, steeped in
Celtic atmosphere and drawing from
Irish myth and legend * Publishers Weekly *
Undoubtedly the best fantasy novel I've ever read. From the front cover through to the back, Frank P. Ryan has created an epic adventure that just does not stop! This book is a powerful, outstanding book, a must-read for Fantasy Lovers
* Glenda A. Bixler, Authorsden *
Sprawling and imaginative . . . even before the gateway to the magical world opens, the green hills and dense forests and meadows with brightly coloured wildflowers feel lush and enchanting. When Alan, Kate, Mark, and Mo travel to Tír, the magical land beyond the gateway, the scenery becomes much more fantastical, and never fails to astound. It succeeds in its
magnificent portrayal of Ireland's
verdant landscape and the various
strange wonders and horrors that await the young adventurers in Tír * Kidsread *
'Ryan is
inventive, the races he peoples his strange world with are
not the run-of-the-mill elves and orcs and the
magic is more of a
spiritual nature than the magic of other fantasy novels I've read. A
fast-paced, action-packed and
truly fantastical journey along the Snowmelt River. I would be willing to suspend my disbelief longer to continue the journey as there is more of this tale to be told'
4 ½/5 * Fantasy Book Review *
The depiction of rural Ireland
is full of striking imagery and nostalgia and the fantasy world is given the same treatment, so both places feel realistic . . . This is a book that's very black and white in its morality, and
tonally has similarities to the work of Tolkien, even though it has a very different atmosphere. A
magical adventure and will appeal to fans of traditional fantasy, and those who fancy some well-crafted escapism * British Fantasy Society *
Writing as crisp as cold water, to skip out on Mr Ryan's great instalment of his series would be criminal * popculturecoup.wordpress.com *
A
great addition to the Fantasy genre . . . an interesting book that questions the reality of fate and destiny.
I loved how the characters grew * Read, Write and Read Some More *
I loved how the characters grew in this book . . .
brilliantly done. The author
kept my attention the whole time. I wanted to continue the journey with these characters, I wanted to see them grow and change. I watched them learn and grow into their roles,
it was fantastic * Annabelle, Goodreads *
His main characters are
brilliantly depicted, as are the
weird and wonderful adventures they embark on - it's hard to imagine either teen or adult getting bored by this
incredible book * The Irish World *
The author has imagined
a brooding sorcerous world filled with dark romantic landscapes and shivering cold, and haunted by dense blue-black shadows . . . Like all
rousing adventure yarns,
The Snowmelt River builds to
a frantic and desperate conclusion * Thomas Cotteril *
Mr Ryan does do well to steer his characters away from the tropes we've come to expect (and disdain), and by the end of the novel
all the characters have grown and evolved admirably. The tale is
enjoyable. To my mind it is the
Belgariad and Malloreon. Younger Readers will probably love this * South African Speculative Fiction review *
It succeeds in its
magnificent portrayal of Ireland's
verdant landscape and the various
strange wonders and horrors that await the young adventurers in Tír * Teen Reads *
Takes fans of fantasy into a
world of adventure, double dealing, warfare and also personal expansion, its
wonderfully written with solid prose and great pace. Yet for me
the real quality of this book is the author's
depiction of the central characters who are not only well rounded but each have flaws yet together make up a stronger whole. It's
cleverly crafted, wonderfully woven and all round really does give you something special * Falcata Times *
'Enthralling. Not many books have this cosmic ability' Los Angeles Times. * Los Angeles Times *
'a great addition to the Fantasy genre' Read, Write and Read Some More. * Read, Write and Read Some More *
'The page-turning and spine-chilling ability of a good novelist' Sunday Telegraph. * Sunday Telegraph *
'Magnificently tense' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *
'Riveting' Publishers Weekly. * Publishers Weekly *
