A Fading Sun, Book 1 of The Sunpath Cycle
- Author: Stephen Leigh
- Published: July 4th, 2017
- Publisher: Daw
- Ratings: 4/5
Book Synopsis
The problem with ghosts is that they don’t quite realize that they’re dead.
Voada Paorach can see the dead. It is a family trait, but one that has had to remain hidden since the Mundoan Empire conquered her people’s land three generations ago. But this ghost isn’t the same as the others she has glimpsed, the lost souls she has helped to find their way to the land beyond life. This ghost demands that Voada follow a new path, one that will mean leaving behind everything and everyone she has known and loved.
Voada will come to understand the power that her people possess, but she will also learn the steep price that must be paid for such a gift.
My thoughts
This was a surprisingly great read! This is the first book in a new epic fantasy series loosely based on Roman Britain and the rebellion of Boudica.
In the story we follow our main protagonist Voada, the wife of Meir a tax collector. Voada has two children a girl named Orla and a boy Hakan. Voada is able to see and communicate with ghosts. When her husband Meir dies, Voada decides to have a small and private burial, butduring the burial ritual she guides her husband’s spirit to the afterlife leaving everyone shocked especially the Mundoan governor who ordered for her to be beaten to death and her children be taken from her to be sold into slavery. Voada survives and vows to take revenge on all that had done her and her family wrong. With the advise of the ghost, she travels to other lands to learn more about her draoi powers and how to best use it to get her children back and make every Mundoan pay for their crimes.
I loved every character in this story, from our main protagonist and her family to our second main protagonist named Altan Savas our Mundoan commander in charge of the war against the tribe. Savas plays a very important role in the story and the battle scenes he created were spectacular. He is the bad guy with the righteous heart, he knows what is the right thing to do but he has an Emperor to serve and even though Savas and Voada had known each other before the war they knew eventually they were going to face each other in war.
I have to say that even thought this was a fast read there were some parts I found were just extra and I could’ve done with without and some parts were a bit predictable but with that being said I think what really got me hooked were the characters, like I mentioned previously the characters were great even the side characters I found interesting and I’m sure that will be so for many readers.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this fast paced read with great fighting scene, amazing characters that will leave you wanting more and I can’t forget to mentioned the ending oh can I please have the second book right now, I can’t wait to see how this all ends.
Chapters We Love 