Lord of Snow and Shadows

Lord of Snow and Shadows is the first book of Sarah Ash's magnum opus, The Tears of Artamon Trilogy, and chronicles the introduction of a young artist named Gavril Andar into the dark power that is his family's birthright. When Gavril's father-Lord Nagarian- is assassinated, his loyal warriors traverse miles of land and sea to collect Gavril, whether he likes it or not. Kidnapped and taken by force to Azhkendir, a country that brings to mind the frigid lands of Transylvania, Gavril is forced into the role of lord of barbarians. However, the fierce warriors and icy country are not his only birthright. Haunted by the restless spirit of his father, Gavril is thrown into a long-standing blood-feud he knows nothing of, pitted against his father's manipulative and heavily-pregnant mistress, and meets a young woman by the name of Kiukirilya who can sing to the spirits of the dead. Even the mechanizations of a prince named Eugene,who seeks to recreate the former empire of Rossiya and absorb Azhkendir, are a small matter in comparison the sinister secret Gavril discovers. For now that he is lord of Azhkendir, his body and mind are forfeited to the malevolent power that lives in the blood of the Nagarian lords, and he slowly begins to transform into something both horrifying and spectacular...something that requires the blood of innocents to survive. The build up of this first novel lives up to expectations with an explosive conclusion that leads straight into the second book "Prisoner of the Iron Tower". Ash's timing at the climax is perfect. Multiple characters viewpoints and experiences are woven together like instruments in a symphony, keeping ones heart in their throat as Gavril speeds against distance send time to rescue his mother from a bloody fate. This was the moment when I stopped and thought "This book is really incredible!". I knew I was holding a fine piece of fantasy literature and that this was an author to watch! In addition, the Tears of Artamon trilogy is unquestionably one of the most interesting twists on the old vampire myth, taking the vampire out of modern context and campy high school drama and weaving it into a fantasy setting potent with the echoes of 18th century Russia. And, of course, the trilogy indulges those who love dragons. Ash has a lyrical style that glows with potent images. She evokes chill landscapes and touches on the darkest portions of the human psyche without all the over-indulgent pontificating of so many fantasy authors that boast of being "high fantasy". Ash doesn't need pages of meandering exposition to evoke an image: she chooses her words carefully. She doesn't treat you like an idiot. She gives you room to think, to analyze and to come to your own conclusions.

The book was fast paced and hard to put down. Enough detail was given on the scenery and characters to give you a very good feel of things without slowing the plot. It could even have been stretched out a bit more without lessening the suspense. It is not simply the "good vs evil" fare, with various characters having a duality about them which makes them quite intriguing. (I wont go into details because that might spoil it for folks who haven't read it yet.) As more details come out, you find you must re-evalute some of the characters and their motivations. It will certainly be interesting to read on into the series to find out more about the fantasy aspects of the world the author has created.

I was looking for something new in a good fantasy book, and stumbled across this title from an author I had never heard of. The reviews were good, and the description sounded unique, so i dove in.I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. The writing is well-paced. The characters are deep, beleivable, and all too human in their capacity for error in spite of great power. There seems to be a tremendous potential in the way of backstory and world detail so that Sarah Ash should be able to continue this series and expand upon it to keep fans like me happy.I look forward to the sequels.

I bought this book because I was in the bookstore looking for a new novel to read and noticed the beautiful artwork on the cover and became intrigued. I brought it home and read it in four days. I couldn't put it down! I was totally consumed by the compelling storyline. I didn't feel that going into a lot of detail about the characters detracted from the story. It is the plot and storyline that really keeps you absorbed in reading this novel. You feel so much emotion for the main character, Gavril. This book invokes all your emotions from fear, terror, revenge, and pity, to love, compassion and joy. The story doesn't overdo the fantasy, sorcery or magic stuff, but rather focuses on the lives of the people in the story. It is not so complicated that you get bored trying to keep up with all the facts and characters. Sarah Ash brings you into this world and you can totally visualize everything. The only drawback was that sometimes I found myself frustrated with the characters being naive and gullible and not saying more or wanting more information, but that all contributes to the mystery of the story. All in all, I loved this book and wish that the next one was out already so that I could continue reading. I think that if you like fantasy that doesn't get too complicated and mired in sorcery and magic, but concentrates on characters and storyline, you will like this book. Can't wait for the next one!

This book was a very pleasant surprise. It was a very quick read with lots of suspense and action. The characters, nations, and lands all are exciting and diverse. The use of technology such as gunpowder does not ruin the story at all, but enhances it. I reccomend this to anyone who's loves great fantasy.