Passionating after all.

This is the first book of the Rhapsody Trilogy (followed by Prophecy and
Destiny).

After a beautiful, enchantingly romantic opening chapter telling the love story of Emily and Gwydion, the focus brutally shifts to a different setting. In the streets of Easton on the Island of Serendair, we meet Rhapsody, a small, blonde, green-eyed and strong-headed Lirin Singer, who earns her daily bread as a prostitute. When she learns that Michael, her most tyrannic client also known as The Wind of Death, is back and is looking for her, she runs away. It won't be long until Michael sets his men after her.

And soon she runs into Achmed and Grunthor, a strange man in a black hood and a giant Bolg soldier, whom she begs to protect her. Together they leave the city, and Rhapsody finds herself caught up in events. For fear of being forever hunted by her former lover and his horde, she reluctantly follows Achmed and Grunthor in a quest she knows nothing about, in a neverending journey through the bottomless roots of Sagia the legendary tree. When they finally emerge a hundred pages later and after what seemed like ages, they discover they're on the other side of the world, and of time.

After such an exciting introduction, I found it a little bit hard to get into Rhapsody's story, probably because I wanted to hear more about Emily and Gwydion, or maybe because I found the journey through the root a tad long, even though it was nice to witness the birth of Grunthor and Rhapsody's friendship. However, my disappointment didn't last long, and after a few more pages I was definitely hooked again, my heart racing each time I felt I would find a clue, that there might be a connection with the overture after all. I just couldn't put it down.

8/10