Review of City of Shards

[SarahAnnHaywood]

[Following is a volunteer review of "City of Shards" by Steve Rodgers.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Steve Rodgers’ City of Shards, the first in the Spellgiver series, is a fantasy of epic proportions. We meet Larin, nephew to the enigmatic Akul, as the four-year-old has his first uncontrolled outburst and begins a journey to discover who he really is. Akul condemns Larin to life within a four-block radius which keeps him safe; however, Larin is stubborn and inquisitive, and while he goes through periods of depression and doubt, he nevertheless reads whatever he can get his hands on in order to learn more about the history of his world and his own place within it.

As Larin grows into young adulthood, the reader learns that his world is governed and impacted by gods, demons, magic, and strange creatures, and a horrifying war is brewing that threatens all that this world’s inhabitants have ever known. Larin grows both physically, intellectually and emotionally, making a few friends along the way and capturing the attention of a girl as he also begins to awaken to a power he didn’t know he possessed. The only problem with this power is that its giver as well as its potential are also unknown.

I throughly enjoyed this first novel in the series. I was eager to turn each page and look forward to the continuing saga. Rodgers manages to captivate the reader with vivid description of this magical world and its inhabitants, as well as enticing character development and plot suspense. The reader is easily able to conjure the scenes in his or her imagination.

The only issue I had with this novel is that the history is complicated and multi-faceted. It’s difficult to keep track of the many gods and factions of creatures along the historical timeline. This did not, however, detract from my enjoyment or my ability to follow the general story.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, and look forward to reading more by this author. The book is suitable for adult audiences as there is descriptive violence, abuse, profanity and some sexual suggestions.

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City of Shards
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