Review Posted: 26 January 2009Absolutely fantastic delivery of a first book by debut author Pow! The story follows the lives of Angelican (read: people with wings) twins Samara and Elias as they learn why Samara has been plagued by debilitating visions for 16 years and what terrible fate awaits them and the other races of their world as war decends. The storyline is fresh and exciting and clearly this series will fall into the category of Epic Fantasy as the scene is set for a vivid history to be exposed and with such a wide range of characters and places that nothing but the entire world will be captured by the story. Great character development, interesting hints and what is to come and vivid imagery made this one of the stand out reads I have had for many a long time. I cannot wait for the next installment! Review Posted: 4th January 2009A very promising debut from emerging Australian fantasy author S.J.Pow. It demonstrates a very character focused approach to fantasy writing which I appreciated a lot and found that it made the story very accessible. Pow shows an obvious love of animals in her writing with most of the main characters having an association with a wondrous creature companion. I often found that just when I was getting used to the pattern of chapters that cycled between the main characters, a chapter was thrown in which focused on a secondary character and these were some of my favourites. Single, almost standalone, chapters about Thorn's younger brother Torin, and Millie's history, served as wonderful interjections into the main story and I hope they're developed further in the sequels to come. The book doesn't follow a standard pacing formula, but serves as a wonderful opening to the series as a whole -- and it points towards more intriguing and climactic events to follow. I eagerly anticipate Book 2 of The Black Pearl of Sacrifice: The Awakening. Review Posted 17 November, 2008The imagery in this book is amazing. It is a unique tale that takes you to a different realm. The characters truly bring the story to life. Review posted: 5th June 2008S.J.Pow is a stunning new author on the scene. Her poetic imagery paints a canvas in your mind as she intricately weaves a storyline full of subtle parallels on society as well as epic fantasy concepts. Even the gory details of battle are written with amazing imagery giving it a very realistic feel. Her characters have very deep and complex personalities giving a more realistic feel to the characters. The character names are unique yet flow from the tongue well. The magic used in the story is very organic and not over the top. If you are looking for an author with style, an excellent choice of vocabulary, and fresh concepts then S. J. Pow is the author for you. Logan Callen
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