BOOK REVIEW: DUPLICITY OF POWER by S. Lynn Helton

Three people are thrown together by unforeseen circumstances in a city of “thieves and assassins, harlots and renegade mages.” We have Namid, one of the deputies of a group of thieves known as the ”Shadowers”; Aames, an old adversary; and Enric, a noble from a much-disliked family.

As they run from a poisonous fog and find themselves in unknown territory outside the city, they band together to search for the second half of a magic sword possessed by Enric. Their friendship deepens as the trek across the six realms of the monarch carries them through adventures steeped in action and twists, eventually coming to a surprise ending.

The author’s descriptions were beautiful, poetic even, imparting both mood and images: “The land they crossed was dry with autumn, gentle hills covered in knee-high grass that had turned a gold-brown color…no trees grew in the stony soil of this vast prairie…”. The characters were also well developed, each bringing something different to the story. I loved Namid, a resilient, caring young woman with skills to rival those of the men.

Sometimes I thought the narration and dialog were a little overwritten and found myself skipping over them. But then I became immersed in the story again. A satisfying ride for readers of fantasy.