When you hear the name Fiona McIntosh, you know you are in for one awesome ride and in Royal Exile (Book One in the Valisar Trilogy, she didn't disappoint. From the first line of the prologue to the promise of another book at the end, this new trilogy opens with a great battle that inspires hatred and sympathy. Like all good stories, we are weaved into the fabric of the lives of a lost king in search of his kingdom, his love interest, and a cast of other characters that you not only love to have, but also hate to love.
I am not a big epic fantasy reader, though I have read many of the big names in the genre including Jordan and Goodkind. The reason I recommend this book is that it has all the elements of an epic, without the enormous page length that a lot of those books tend to be. For me, with kids and life getting in the way, I love a good rich story that can be read and enjoyed within a few days. This is one of those wonderful books.
I would definitely recommend this book to epic fans and fantasy readers alike. It had good adventure, great action, and a twisting plot that left you salivating for the next. Royal Exile is a book great for a long winter's night spent indoors by a fire. So, step into the land of where a lost king sets out to find his kingdom and begins an adventure that will change his life and the world around him forever.