Book Review: The Amethyst Talisman by Aerin Apeltun

There's just something about a pretty book cover that makes me really want to read the book! And the cover for this one is absolutely stunning - as soon as I saw the cover art reveal, I was excited to get hold of it. And it is even prettier in the flesh! (card? paper?)

The Amethyst Talisman is a fantasy romance adventure story - part of me wants to say low fantasy, as the world in which it is set is a world in which magic no longer exists (or is at least extremely rare) and wonderous creatures and monsters are relegated to myth and folk tales. However, as the title suggests, they're still around! So I guess it is a high fantasy tale after all.

The world is beautifully set out, with a helpful glossary of places and names at the back of the book. The lands and the people within them are named after gemstones, herbs, trees and flowers, which is a lovely touch and really adds to the flavour of the setting. Though I have to wonder how quickly they run out of names in those lands? There must be a lot of people called Basil and Nettle and Quartz! Descriptions of traditional dress for the lands and the ever-present Blood Decree also add to this feeling of very well defined countries and cultures. As this is the first book in a series, there is a lot of exposition, and Aerin has done her best to work it into the action so that the reader isn't stalled by lots and lots of information that pulls them out of the rhythm of the story. There are one or two places where it feels a little forced, but that's forgivable because it's information you'll need later.

The romance between the two main characters is at the forefront here, and can occasionally feel a bit heavy-handed, but even so the adventure aspect of the story is very engaging and if romance isn't really your thing, there's still plenty for you to enjoy. I loved (avoiding spoilers) the political intrigue, the stirrings of rebellion against the status quo, and the re-emergence of old magics. There's even a dash of horror, which made me happy!

All in all, an excellent first book and start of a series. I'm very excited to see where it all goes next, as while the events of book one are wrapped up nicely, the world plot has clearly only just begun and the characters have plenty more to do.