The Ferryman and The Flame #1: Flame of Surrender

Its different and its my review of The Ferryman and The Flame #1 Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Pillae.

Here is the summary of the book:

The boy who follows death meets the girl who could cause the apocalypse. Krishani thinks he’s doomed until he meets Kaliel, the one girl on the island of Avristar who isn’t afraid of him. She’s unlike the other girls, she swims with merfolk, talks to trees and blooms flowers with her touch. What he doesn’t know is that she’s a flame, one of nine individually hand crafted weapons, hidden in the body of a seemingly harmless girl. Nobody has fallen in love with a flame until now. She becomes Krishani’s refuge from the dreams of death and the weather abilities he can’t control. Striking down thousand year old trees with lightning isn’t something he tries to do, it just happens. When the Ferryman dies, Krishani knows that he’s the next and that a lifetime of following death is his destiny. And Kaliel can’t come with him. The Valtanyana are hunting the flames, the safest place for her is Avristar. Krishani can’t bear to leave her, and one innocent mistake grants the Valtanyana access to their mystical island. They’re coming for Kaliel, and they won’t stop until every last living creature on Avristar is dead. She has to choose, hide, face them, or awaken the flame and potentially destroy herself.

It is always difficult for the reader when starting a new book that he/she gets into the story and get themselves acquainted with the situation presented in the pages. A task that is pretty difficult and strenuous when you get high fantasy into the quota. High Fantasy is a form of fantasy that is purely the author's imagination nothing borrowed from anywhere (well aside from the mythical creatures that is). Whereas Tolkien had middle Earth under his control Ms. Pillae has got Avristar under her's.

Kaliel and Krishani are both trying to find a niche in the world. Both feel they are failure and have no way of understanding what the great oak tree wants them to be. But both play a great role in shaping the history of Avristar. While Krishani and Kaliel experience every stolen moments they can find but trouble is soon to follow. An ancient enemy of the land, the Valtanyana is free of its bounds and will do anything to destroy, to bring Armageddon to Avristar and it can only be done by destroying the flames. Both Kaliel and Krishani may actually be more involved than they had ever realised.

So lets now get to some of the finer aspects of the book and point out all the good stuffs. First, loved the writing. The writing was intricately put through in the pages, every small detail about the structure around Avristar really springs into place in our imaginations. Every vivid descriptions, allow you to add the softest of detail to a complete world. Then you have the major element of the story the love shared between Krishani and Kaliel. It is their passion for one another and their need to be together which elevates the saga.

Then comes our main characters, Krishani and Kaliel. Both are trying to master their destines. Both want to belong. Kaliel and a very vulnerable and an endearing person but on the other hand she is also very brave while Krishani being a part of the brotherhood of Amersil is passionate and desirable one.

Then comes the pacing of the story which is pretty great. It starts out slow and then slowly and gradually it builds up to its climatic ending making way for the next book.