This series by then-debút novelist, Ian Irvine contains a lot of the things I love about the fantasy genre. There are good guys and bad guys, but the lines are quite blurred and what you think you know about one character can change within the space of a few chapters so it keeps your brain moving.

There is also a lot that differs between Irvine’s series and those of almost everyone else: for example while there are other races, there aren’t any elves, dwarves or orcs which can be refreshing in that by cutting them out you remove the need to meet all readers expectations of those races.

Another way in which this book is different is the way in which the background history of the world of Santhenar is established. It isn’t formed in an opening chapter like some fantasy novels, instead it is built into the story as ‘the Histories’ around which the current turmoil is based.

The story is set on Santhenar one of three worlds inhabited by different races. Humans are native to Santhenar, there are the Aachim from Aachan who were conquered by another race, the Charon, and there are the Faellem from Tallallame. Long in the past peoples from the different worlds came to Santhenar in search of different things and were trapped, unable to return to their homes. However the current troubles start thousands of years after the races were trapped.

The series starts of with the separate stories of Karan and Llian, Karan is a ‘Sensitive’ ( a kind of psychic) and it’s because of this that she is forced to help steal a relic in payment of a debt. While she escapes with the mirror she is alone and pursued. Llian is a Chronicler who has just discovered a terrible secret, one which could change everything upon which the Histories are based. Because of this the master of the college has his proofs sealed away and exiles him from the college with the task of finding Karan and taking her to Mendark, Llian’s sponsor.

This begins a journey that takes the pair further than they could have thought, exploring the Histories of Santhennar while shaping the future and the building of a new Great Tale.

Through four novels Irvine examines the motives which drive the characters and what each is willing to sacrifice to achieve their goals. His writing style allows for many facets of each character’s personality to be seen which gives the reader a chance to connect to each character in a different way, and with each revelation the books draw you in further until it is impossible to put down.

I was so entranced by the series I read all four books within a week and would definitely recommend them.