Emissary

     The journey of twenty-one-year-old Hyam in a realm of swords, steeds, danger, and strange magic is a wonderful fulfillment of fantasy-fiction and world-building dreams. The death of his mother at the beginning of the story throws his life into uncertainty, and shortly, chaos, with the revelation of part of his ancestry and an encounter with armed warriors heralding war. Hyam is accused of using forbidden magic to toil on his thriving family land, magic he has only just discovered and learned he can use. And it is that same magic that allows him to defeat these men and their threat on his life, and further spread the warning of war to his hometown.

     Hyam's account finds him exiled. Alone. His only company: the warhorse he acquired from defeating the soldiers, and the massive wolf-hound gifted to him by the mayor of his village when he sent him away. He has his weapons, his newfound powers, his pets, and nothing but pieces of advice to make his way in the world.

     His first stop introduces us to a race called Ashanta - a community oriented, gentle, guardian-type people who, like several of the other groups in this story, are very private and unapproachable. Through a series of questioning and unexpected abilities they make Hyam their emissary, throwing him into a world of peril he never could have anticipated or imagined.

     Locke's selling point in this story, for me, is his unique blend of wizardry and fantastic creatures and people. The world-building alone is enough to hold my interest, but Locke embarks on a never-slowing adventure through treacherous land and life, facing Hyam with threat, danger, and love. It is as much action-adventure-fantasy as it is a riveting story about identity and belonging.

--Elise--

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