Blog Tour: Review of Cephrael’s Hand by Melissa McPhail (plus a giveaway!)

I’ve read a lot of good things about this book and it did not disappoint. In fact, it just blew me away. I have to say, Cephrael’s Hand (A Pattern of Shadow and Light, Book One) by Melissa McPhail is one of the most amazing epic fantasies I’ve read so far. I loved this book so much that as part of this tour I’ve decided to also publish a guest post by the author. In her guest post, Melissa talks about the fascinating magic system she designed for Cephrael’s Hand. It’s super cool, folks. Trust me.

Check out my review of this amazing book as well as Melissa’s guest post on magic systems. There’s also a tour-wide giveaway, so don’t forget to enter. Enjoy! ;)

About the book

Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive…

A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming…

A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within…

And all across the land, magic is dying. 

Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.

Amazing and complex, truly epic fantasy!

The first thing I noticed about this novel was the writing style and the way the author narrated the story. One chapter would be about one character and the next would be about another. Each chapter was a story in itself about the many characters and their separate journeys, and bit by interesting bit, the story grew and took shape as each person’s story became another piece to the big picture. Each chapter slowly revealed the fantasy world of Cephrael’s Hand. It was like putting a puzzle together. I loved this style because it kept me guessing and kept me interested all throughout. This book was as long as epic fantasies go, but it was hard to put down.

Another thing that kept me reading was the magic system within this fantasy world. I appreciated the fact that it had a semblance of rules and structure and that there was a logic to how the magic worked. It also had a rich history that was revealed piece by piece in the book. (The author talks more about the magic system in her guest post, so don’t forget to read through it!)

I’ve read some reviews that said this novel had too many characters, but the myriad of characters was something I didn’t mind at all. Every significant character had some part to play in the story. As the book summary said, there were pieces and players in the game. It was fascinating to read who were pieces and who were players, and who ceased to be pieces and became players. It was hard to pinpoint who the good guys and the bad guys really were. Things weren’t always what they seemed and every character’s story was just a thread in the great big Pattern. The whole thing was just so grand, so fascinating, so complex, and beautiful! I have only one word for it: EPIC. Gaaaaah. (—> That’s me melting from the awesomeness, by the way.)

I really have nothing but praises for this novel because I enjoyed it so much and I am in so much awe of what Melissa McPhail has done. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book, The Dagger of Adendigaeth.

If you like epic fantasies like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings or Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, you might enjoy Cephrael’s Hand. Some reviewers have also likened it to Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and I would have to agree even though I’ve only read the first book of that series! Iz epic. It is.

I received a review copy of this book at no cost and with no obligations. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.

About the author

Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, an avid Fantasy reader, and the author of the award-winning epic fantasy series A Pattern of Shadow & Light.

A long-time student of philosophy, she is passionate about the Fantasy genre because of its inherent philosophical explorations.

An Atlanta, Georgia native, Ms. McPhail now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats.

Connect with Melissa on her Website, on FacebookTwitter,  GoodreadsGoogle+ and Pinterest.

Here’s a longer summary of the book!

“All things are composed of patterns…”

And within the pattern of the realm of Alorin, three strands must cross:

In Alorin… three hundred years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline: Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three centuries past earned him a traitor’s brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine D’Lacourte’s mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his race. But first he’ll have to find him.

In the kingdom of Dannym… the young Prince Ean val Lorian faces a tenuous future as the last living heir to the coveted Eagle Throne. When his blood-brother is slain during a failed assassination, Ean embarks on a desperate hunt for the man responsible. Yet his advisors have their own agendas, and his quest for vengeance leads him ever deeper into a sinuous plot masterminded by a mysterious and powerful man, the one they call First Lord.

In the Nadori desert… tormented by the missing pieces of his life, a soldier named Trell heads off to uncover the truth of his shadowed past. But when disaster places him in the debt of Wildlings sworn to the First Lord, Trell begins to suspect a deadlier, darker secret motivating them. Honor-bound to serve the First Lord in return for his life, Trell continues on his appointed path, yet each day unveils new and stranger secrets that eventually call into question everything he knows.

The strands of all three men are intricately connected, spun through the vast pattern constructed by the First Lord in a deadly game three centuries in the making, a game where there are pieces and there are players. Pieces don’t know a game exists, and only players have a chance of surviving it. Each man must face his own fears and claim a role in the First Lord’s game, but even if they do, they aren’t the only players, and all of Alorin is the prize. . 

Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light. —Get this book on Amazon.

Blog Tour Giveaway

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.

The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

  1. Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 cents
  2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity
  3. Visit today’s featured social media event

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5 thoughts on “Blog Tour: Review of Cephrael’s Hand by Melissa McPhail (plus a giveaway!)”

  1. Wow, awesome sauce review, Leah! I’m so glad you found a soul companion in Cephrael’s Hand. Thanks for being a part of this tour and for cross-posting, too. You rock, GF!

    Em <3

    Reply
  2. Leah, thank you so much for taking the time to read and review Cephrael’s Hand. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the story and the characters.

    One of the most exciting aspects of writing this story was weaving all the storylines together so that in the end you realize it’s only one story, one corner of the pattern. You were quite astute in your observation of this!

    Thank you so much for your honest review and your support not only of my novel but of so many aspiring authors.

    Reply

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