Ever wondered what it’d be like to have an ability? The means to control magic and utilize it? To do some good or make your life easier? Well, what if you had the means of magic, but you lived in a world where magic was feared and hated? That even if you did no harm to anyone, you’d be hunted down and made to pay a price? Well, welcome to The Silver Crystal, book one in the Red Kingdom series – because being hunted is exactly what you’ll get here.
Our first glimpse of The Silver Crystal is an eye-catching cover. The first thing readers will notice is a setting sun behind a massive city. Spires arching high into the sky and cutting into the sun creates a riveting skyline. With the fog and mist swirling around the base of the city, it almost gives the illusion of a city floating above the ground. This illusion is compounded by the flock of birds taking flight across the book’s cover just below a man standing on a cliff.
In the foreground of the cover of The Silver Crystal is a man wrapped in a cloak. In his right hand is a glowing crystal he appears to be holding tightly. Or is he? In his left hand, he’s holding what appears to be a pair of weapons. Standing on a rocky cliff he appears to be staring at the city. Is he planning an assault? Or is he simply giving it one last look before departing on a mission? The best way to find out? Dive into this book.
The Silver Crystal by Ryan Lanz is an epic fantasy novel that will draw you in little by little until you find yourself devouring this book to see where it leads. The Silver Crystal details a riveting story through the eyes of a variety of different characters. The majority of the story will be told following Rhael. Told from the third person POV author Lanz shows how Rhael is forced to change his perspective of those who are branded as “Corrupted.”
Author Lanz paints a picture of a world where magic users are declared “Corrupted.” Whether they use their magic to harm anyone or not, they are hunted down, and a crystal forced into their hand. It’s honestly a jaw-dropping thing because it doesn’t stop there!
Where author Lanz starts The Silver Crystal is a prologue that will pique your interest in what will happen next. Rhael has had an encounter with a “Corrupted.” He’s preparing to spike a crystal through their hand, but then chaos breaks out. This initial chapter will absolutely fuel you to turn the page and find out what happens next as Rhael moves to arm himself for a fight. However, author Lanz has other plans for readers.
As The Silver Crystal continues to unfold, author Lanz takes readers back before the incident that is playing out in the prologue by a few days. Here we get to see how specific connections are made, specific characters are introduced, and we’re given clues that not everything is what it seems. There is a Judas amidst the group and he will bring down death and destruction to Rhael’s team.
The Silver Crystal is an interesting novel that draws you in page by page. As Rhael’s team comes together to bring in a group of “Corrupted” he has no idea what he’s walking them into. In his group is someone who craves more – more money, more power, and Rhael out of the picture. As you can expect, the best-made plans rarely work out, and well…this particular plan is far from being well-made.
Of course, chaos erupts and what happens with Rhael will have your jaw on the floor. You’ll find yourself hoping for the best and yet expecting the worst when it comes to certain scenes in The Silver Crystal.
Readers who are looking for characters who go through a form of transformative development will absolutely want to grab a copy of The Silver Crystal. Why do we say this? Because Rhael starts this story with one particular point of view. He believes that a group of “Corrupted” were responsible for his father’s death when he was a child. The truth though is something different. But after Rhael’s encounter with a “Corrupted” by the name of Phessipi everything changes.
Phessipi suffers a great loss in this book. Understandably she will blame Rhael for this loss, because in her mind if he had never pursued her group they would never have been harmed. However, her anger is misplaced, but she’s seeking a change in the status quo and this first strike in her mind will put them on the path toward change. Author Lanz paints a picture of Phessipi throughout The Silver Crystal as a woman struggling, until she finds her fire deep inside. It’s easy to say that she becomes an intriguing character.
Author Lanz enjoys throwing in more than a twist or two in The Silver Crystal. There are several twists that will have your jaw on the floor. The evolution that Rhael goes through after his encounter with Phessipi is truly interesting. Her intent was not to change him, but to cause him pain and humiliation. But through her actions, she helps put him on a path to becoming something more.
The character that readers are going to love to hate in The Silver Crystal will be Morrith. Author Lanz takes special care with how he creates Morrith as a character. Morrith is sneaky, conniving, and has an insatiable craving for power. As readers dive deeper into The Silver Crystal readers will see just how far Morrith is willing to go to accomplish his goals. Plain and simple – Morrith is a snake, and one you’d prefer to avoid at all costs.
Wondering where Levas shows up? Well, you’re going to be waiting for his appearance to happen in this book, but when he does show up, you’re not going to be quite sure how to categorize him. Levas is obviously a soldier. He stands behind the laws of The Order and works to ensure that they are enforced.
So, when a rebel uprising threatens the city Levas is tasked to protect he stands to take action. We found one particular scene with Levas rather humorous and it’s around the time that he is initially introduced in the story. Readers will definitely be interested to see where author Lanz takes Levas into the next book and the rest of the series…well, if he lives that long.
Author Lanz introduces readers to a variety of characters who will cycle through The Silver Crystal. While The Silver Crystal focuses heavily on Rhael, the story still shifts around to Phessipi, a soldier by the name of Levas, Morrith, and one other character who is out for revenge against Rhael.
The Silver Crystal brings to readers a fantasy world that seems simple but has just the right amount of complexities that draws you in. You get magic users who simply want to live their lives, but if The Order (the ones making the rules) decides you’re a problem, you have a target on your back.
The Silver Crystal is an intriguing novel, and it is just the beginning of The Red Kingdom series. As this story draws to a close, you will feel the urge to continue the series to find out what happens next. Rhael has managed to deal with one problem, but this was just the tip of the iceberg. The winds of change are blowing and The Silver Crystal is just the opening salvo.
Readers who enjoy epic fantasy novels that have a gradual build before wrapping you up in a storyline that doesn’t let up…this book is for you. You are getting complex characters, intense drama, and twists that you won’t see coming. The Silver Crystal is a must-read, and we can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Pros:
- Engaging storyline
- Nice variety of interesting characters
- Page-turner
- Good character development
- A good amount of world-building to flesh out the story
Cons:
- None of merit
Scribble's Worth 