Book Review - Gryphon's Heir - D.R. Ranshaw

It's been a few weeks since I've written a blog post of any kind.   I've been diligently working on my own manuscript and it's getting closer and closer to being finished.

There...  moving on.

Gryphon's Heir written by D.R. Ranshaw has been on my kindle for weeks.  It was a big part of my #gymandbooks routine, but getting about an hour read at a time takes a while.  It became a habit that took a little while to break.  

This is decidedly a 'boy' book.  There is no obvious romantic interest; actually, this grabs my attention even more because I'm already trying to decide who Rhiss (Rhissan) will end up with at the end.  (I am a hopeless romantic after all.)  

World creating is extremely important, even more so when creating your own world for your characters to live, work, and love in.  I believe that Ranshaw did a superb job of creating his world.   More on that later.

When we first enter the story we are in Arrinor at a crucial and critical moment in the land's history.  Fast-forward twenty-five years and we meet Rhiss and Alistair.  Rhiss is in rural England and has learned sword play and archery.  In fact he's quite skilled at both sports.

Then a doorway magically appears in his classroom and he's faced with a choice.  He can stay and deal with teenager bullying teenagers and headmasters taking the sides of the rich students.  He can go and help the heir to a kingdom regain his throne from the Usurper that

 There are points where you just want to scream, 'How do you not know what is going on?' in Rhiss' direction.  How could he not know?  It's obvious.  More than obvious.  Why does it take him so long to recognize what is happening to him?  Who he is?  Ugh.  But that one just one more of those things that pulled me into reading even more.  

But it was the things written in that weren't obvious until it appeared within the pages that seriously pulled me even deeper into the story and was able to break my unfortunate #gymandbooks habit with this particular story. 

There is a lot that I loved about Gryphon's Heir.  A LOT.  I don't say 'a lot' very often.  

There's the use of language in the naming of characters (I'm going to assume the locations too). 

There's the literary references and allusion.  Shakespeare.  King Arthur.

He even mastered mixing magic and religion.  The reader - hopefully you - can tell that aspects of our religions are mixed with Arrinor's religion.  That religion has a foundation with The One and The Other.  Kings are born with the power to... wait... that's a spoiler.  Read and find out what powers Kings are born with. 

Foreshadowing.  Loved the foreshadowing. 

It is extremely difficult to write about this book.  Why?  I loved it.  I want the next book to have magically appeared on my kindle yesterday.   I extremely dislike reading books in an unfinished series, but this one was worth it.  

I'm having trouble because I don't want to have to write "Spoiler Alert!" in all caps, a bold font, with symbols surrounding it.  

Read it.  Love it.  Wait impatiently with me for the next book in the series. 

https://www.amazon.com/Gryphons-Heir-Annals-Arrinor-Book-ebook/dp/B00YWB07BK?ie=UTF8&keywords=ranshaw&qid=1463104097&ref_=sr_1_1&s=digital-text&sr=1-1