Heir of Autumn

The story of a young boy turned man waaaay too soon. Brophy is the epitome of the good, trusting, responsible kid. At fifteen his two best friends are a twenty year old girl who is part of a sex cult and an eighteen year old boy who is known for his cruelty and lies. Yet, Brophy stands by them, loves them, forgives them even when one accuses him for their own horrible crimes. When he is cast out of the home and city he loves, nearly dies, and is thrown into another situation that could mean him his life, Brophy tries to take the good, honest road and again is scorned and nearly looses his life. Yet, the reader cannot help but cheer for him. I called to him to not ever give up. To never change. Even though we ourselves live in a jaded world with beattened down heros, I wanted to live in Brothy's world and believe in him.

I'm a pretty avid fantasy reader, and for some time now, I have been disenchanted with a lot of the new fantasies that have been released. NOT the case with this book. Heir of Autumn is un-putdown-able from the start, with characters that leap out of the pages and conflicts that seem impossible to fix until the very end, when the authors skillfully pull everything together into one dramatic finale. You know a book is good when you find yourself feeling elated, frustrated, enraged, and sad at the same times as the main characters. That, coupled with the original world the authors have created (Nine Squares has got to be one of the most interesting games I've ever read about), makes Heir of Autumn a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy--or just good storytelling.

From the first pages of Heir of Autumn, in which you meet a young woman forced by her tribe to watch over a terrible evil, to the climactic battle scene, Carwyn and Fahnestock delight and amaze the reader. Unlike so many fantasy books that recycle the now-tired Tolkien formula, Carwyn and Fahnestock's masterful debut is full of suprises and deeply realized characters. Not only do Brophy, Trent, Shara, Baelandra, and Scythe gain life in Heir's pages, but the city of Ohndarien absolutely explodes from the page. Again and again I found myself lost in Carwyn and Fahnestock's imaginative geography, the decadent alleys of the Night Market, the endless views atop the Hall of Windows, the danger and intrigue of the Nine Squares arena. Having grown a little jaded with some of the stock fantasy out there, I can't tell you how refreshing it was to encounter these new talents. I rank them with George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Dave Duncan, and the early Orson Scott Card as some of my favorite writers. This is an extraordinary first book and I can't wait to see more from Fahnestock and Carwyn.

This book has everything! "Heir of Autumn" is an exceptional novel, I can't believe it's Carwyn and Fahnestock's first. An evil mage who enslaves the lovely Shara through his devious sexually-inspired magic. A unscrupulous king who willingly frames young Brophy and throws him to the mercy of the desert. A dark and mysterious spy complete with a secret love he can never reveal or fulfill. An unspeakable malevolence held in check by a sleeping babe. And the fate of the entire world hangs in the balance! What more could you ask for? "Heir of Autumn" swept me up from page one and never let me put the book down. The breadth and depth of characters portrayed in this debut novel prove beyond a doubt that we'll be seeing a lot more of Carwyn and Fahnestock in the future. And good thing, too! I can't wait to read the sequel. The writing is alive, the characters made me want to scream alternately with rage and joy, and the plot relies just enough on convention to make the long-time fantasy reader feel right at home. But the innovative plot twists make this novel a one of a kind read! All the reality shows on TV can't hold a candle to the gripping tension of the lethal game of Nine Squares created for this book. "Heir of Autumn". A must read book for every fantasy fan.

I loved "Heir of Autumn"! The writing is great, a real page-turner. And it has everything I like in a good book: a beautiful seductress, an evil over-lord, a main character I can relate to, royalty, sword fights, magic, wars, and an unspeakable evil threatening to destroy the world. The book starts a little slow - lots of character building - but once Brophy gets banished, I literally couldn't put the book down! I didn't get enough sleep, I read through my meals, and I was late for work. Twice! What I thought was going to be another typical fantasy novel about kings and queens squabbling over their kingdom, turned into a novel of deep intrigue, unstoppable action scenes, and characters I fell in love with! Even the minor characters are packed with vitality and a personality all their own. You'll absolutely love the spunky Lawdon character. She's the best! Can't wait to read about her in the next book.