Prophecy of the Flame by Lynn Hardy

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Carabosse
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Prophecy of the Flame by Lynn Hardy

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Prophecy of the Flame" by Lynn Hardy.]
Book Cover for 9780615170763
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Rebecca is a secretary and housewife without much self-confidence. Humoring her husband Kyle, she reluctantly agrees to spend a weekend at the Renaissance Gaming Hotel: a resort that specialises in roleplay games. Once there, Kyle informs Rebecca that she will be the only one entering into this fantasy atmosphere: he will spend the weekend at the buffet in the dining room.

The session starts off normally enough. Rebecca is required to fill in a character sheet detailing the attributes of her fictional character and assign extra ability points. Suddenly, Archmage Reba is born-and just in time. Reba and her companions; a druid elf, a master smithy dwarf, a healer and a paladin warrior; are transported to the transdimensional medieval world of Cuthburan.

Now in a world that is far removed from their own by more than distance, Archmage Reba and her companions must use their abilities to navigate their new surroundings if they are to return home to the modern-day human world. Before they can even think of how to return, however, they must learn the ways of the Cuthburish people, in order to help them fight a war against hordes of relentless demons from the demonic realm.

During their journey, Rebecca discovers a side of herself she never knew existed. She is no longer a timid housewife, but must grasp all opportunities that come her way in the guise of Archmage Reba if she is to save the world of Cuthburan and return home.

This book has fantastically vivid imagery. The medieval world is thoroughly brought to life, as are the battle scenes with the demons. Strong bonds are formed between the characters. The only downside was that the romantic scenes between Reba and the two royal brothers, Alex and Szames, became tedious. This was also confusing: one minute, Reba would talk about swooning into the prince's arms, the next minute, the reader was practically given a lecture on the sanctity of marriage vows.

Aside from this minor negative, "Prophecy of the Flame" is a courageous effort in trying to subvert the traditional stereotype of women as weak, helpless damosels in distress. There are a broad range of characters in this story, so it would appeal to men as well as women. An extremely entertaining read. I give this book 3 stars out of 4.

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Latest Review: "Seven Years (Tales from the Backwoods, Story 1)" by Backwoods
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