Emissary by Thomas Locke

★★★★★
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Hyam is a likeable lad who will make a fine farmer someday. But he carries a burden few can fathom. As his mother slips toward death, she implores him to return to Long Hall, where he spent five years as an apprentice. It was there that Hyam's extraordinary capacity for mastering languages came to light – and soon cast him into the shadows of suspicion. How could any human learn the forbidden tongues with such ease? When Hyam dares to seek out the Mistress of the Sorceries, her revelation tears his world asunder.

He has no choice but to set out on the foreboding path – which beckons him to either his destiny or his doom. An encounter with an enchanting stranger reminds him that he is part hero and part captive. As Hyam struggles to interpret the omens and symbols, he is swept up by a great current of possibilities – and dangers. 

With lyrical prose that unveils a richly imaginative world, Thomas Locke takes readers on a journey into the Realm. There he invites them to awaken their sense of wonder. This cracking adventure moves like a contemporary thriller but harkens back to the enduring genre of classic fantasy.

Thomas Locke’s Emissary, the first of his Legends of the Realm novels, is quite a satisfying read. Set in a well-constructed fantastical world filled with all sorts of magic, this novel takes its readers on a journey of epic proportions with a most unlikely hero. Hyam, a recently-orphaned farmer, unexpectedly finds himself in the position to save the realm in which he lives. Confronted with dark forces, yet gaining support in a cast of unique and diverse characters, Hyam proves to be a brave, intelligent and likeable hero. I loved following his adventure, a fantasy that is sure to please the genre’s fans of all ages, and cannot wait to find out what is next in store for him.

Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a copy of Emissary and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Author

Thomas Locke is a pseudonym for Davis Bunn, the award-winning novelist with total worldwide sales of seven million copies. His work has been published in twenty languages, and critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. He divides his time between Oxford and Florida and holds a lifelong passion for speculative stories. Davis's screenplay adaptation of Emissary is currently under development as a feature film with a British production company. Learn more at his website.