The Order
THE ORDER is a science fiction-fantasy story for tweens and very young adults. It tells of a kingdom filled with kings, magicians and humans living together much as we do here. Most just struggle to get by as others are trying to get to the top of the ladder.
Eryn lives with her father in a small village out in the middle of nowhere. Her father is teaching her to be a healer, until one day when he is killed and she must fend for herself from then on. As she is gathering herbs on day, she falls becoming unconscious only to awaken in jail. Not soon after, she finds herself on the way to the palace and so her life changes forever.
Enric is the second strongest magician in the land, through no fault of his own. Once the carefree, lazy child, how he is saddled with politics and duty to king and country. He has sacrificed his life for his king and the Order itself. Things are going along without problems until he meets Eryn and knocks her out a few times.
The King of the land has no magical abilities, yet he rules over the land manipulating both human and magician alike to get the things he wants. He has power and enjoys his position. The King knows things no one else knows, including Lord Tyront, head of the Order.
When delegates arrive from another magical kingdom Eryn soon learns things her father had never mentioned to her. Her loyalties are tested and she has to choose to stay or go.
To me, this is an excellent beginning to a story, but it really doesn't fully wrap things up. It felt incomplete to me. When I finished reading it, I felt as if I had read an incomplete report paper. To me, I thought it was like reading Tolkien's Hobbit, only he ended the story when the dwarves came and they had just decided to leave on their long adventure. ( )