The Cross of Tarlis: The Reckoning

Princess Tannith is given the seemingly impossible task of finding four pieces of an ancient cross that holds the magic to bring back the god, Magus.  If she cannot find a way to accomplish this quest, all her people, and the entire world as she knows it, will fall to the evil sorcerer, Sernon.  Luckily the gods have seen fit to send her Kaden, the warrior prince from a kingdom that is also being decimated by evil’s vast forces. Their journey takes them into the heart of danger on every turn, and the evil quickly grows faster than they can keep ahead of. However, the stakes or too high to allow defeat!

As the third book in the Tarlisian Sagas, it immediately dives into the action and suspense! Readers not familiar with the first books in the series might find it a bit difficult to immediately catch up. But it doesn’t take long until enough clues are given and one is so immersed in the story that time fades and pages fly by! The evil is gruesomely portrayed, which adds an urgency to the plot, as the characters race to save their world. It is edge-of-the-seat, chew down those nails fun! The tale is expertly written and succeeds in keeping the reader smack in the middle of the action and emotion. The climactic fight between the brothers does stretch believability with a few twists and turns that don’t quite make logical sense, but one is too engaged in what the outcome will be to truly worry. And the ending is so beautifully satisfying, that one will sigh and smile as they close the book!

Ruth Lynn Ritter