When Darkness Falls; The Obsidian Trilogy Book 3

When I left off a few weeks ago, Cilarnen had just found a source of power for his spells. He tapped into the energy of the ancient Elven land-wards, so he would have the required spell power to be able to help the army with more powerful spells. Since then, the story has mostly followed Kellen as he led a portion of the army to check on the other Elven cities that they haven't heard from. As Kellen journeys, he discovers that many of the previously wonderful Elven cities and towns have been destroyed or evacuated. Plague has been spreading and is one of the biggest problems in settlements; Kellen has found empty settlements that were destroyed by plague. There are also more free-roaming monsters than ever, which are causing additional problems.

The biggest twist in this section was the discovery of the reason why the King, Andoreniel, has not been sending commands to the army: he has been stricken with sickness and is unable to lead. And there is confusion as to who will command the army now; the Queen, Ashaniel, is pregnant and under protection, and the Prince, Sandalon, is only about five years old and also under protection. The only other idea of a leader would be the King's Council, but they always take a very long time to make decisions, which cannot be afforded at the moment.

Who will command the army now? I predict that Kellen, being the Knight-Mage, will be given even more responsibility then before, and have to not only lead, but make decisions for a larger part of the army. But I will find out in the reading to come.

I rate this book 8.5/10 so far.

When Darkness Falls: Setting Blog

The Obsidian Trilogy is set in a mythical world. It is similar to ours, except for the addition of magic and creatures such as elves and dragons. It has no specified name, and there aren't really many actual countries; mostly cities and territories. There is also no given year, but the world is medieval-style (swords and armor, primitive technology, knights, peasants).

In the first book, The Outstretched Shadow, the first part is set in the biggest human city, Armethalieh. This city is ruled by mages, and every aspect of life is affected by magic. The middle portion is set in the Wild Lands, an unorganized large area near Armethalieh's territory that is not unified, but has many scattered settlements. The latter part is set in the Elven lands, mainly in the city of Sentarshadeen, and wandering in other places on Kellen's journey.
The second book, To Light a Candle, is mainly set in the Elven Lands, on Kellen's way back from his journey, Sentarshadeen, and the army's march all around the nation seeking the hideouts of their enemies.
When Darkness Falls, the third (and current) book, so far is also mainly set in the Elven Lands, except almost entirely at the military encampments with the army. There have been so far a few trips to other Elven cities such as Lerkalpoldara and Ysterialpoerin.

I think that that most important settings are probably Armethalieh and the Elven Lands. Armethalieh, being the biggest human city and led by mages, is a key location to the outcome of the war. And the Elven Lands are where most of the series takes place.
"Magick set the scales in the marketplace and ensured their honesty. Magick at the Mint guaranteed that the square coins of the City, the Golden Suns of Armethalieh, were the truest in the world, and the most trusted. Magick kept the City's water supply sweet and uncontaminated, her markets filled with fresh wholesome food at every season, her buildings unthreatened by fire. There were entire cadres of Mages on the City payroll, dedicated to magick for the public good. If they were well paid and well respected, they had earned both the pay and the respect. Even Kellen, no friend of Mages, had to admit to that. Life in the City was sweet and easy." (The Outstretched Shadow, Pg 15) This quote describes how magic is a huge part of Armethalieh, which makes it very important to the plot.

Setting in The Obsidian Trilogy is important in the way that there are many key locations, but since the geography isn't too different from ours, it isn't as big a matter.

My prediction has been that Kellen will become more self-confident to match the increasing challenges of the war. This prediction has proven to be true, and I still predict he will continue this trend.

I rate this book 8.5/10 so far.

When Darkness Falls: Character Blog

The main character in my book is Kellen Tavadon. Two adjectives that could describe him are self-doubting and brave. These seem like opposites, but Kellen has constantly shown both of them throughout the The Obsidian Trilogy.

Kellen has shown insecurity, especially in the first book, when he doubts whether he is good enough. In book one, The Outstretched Shadow, he doubts whether he is good enough to meet the expectations of his father. Now, he is unsure if he is able to make a positive difference in the war against the Demons.

Kellen has also shown bravery. He risks his own life instead of others' when possible and tries to do the right thing, even when other people don't believe in him.

I think that as the book progresses, Kellen will lose his self doubt and become brave enough to face the growing problems.

I rate this book 8.5/10 so far.

When Darkness Falls: The Obsidian Trilogy Book 3 (Week 4)

 When Darkness Falls has had many small twists and events so far, and I'm not even that much far into the book. I am wondering what this is all building up to, and I can't wait to find out.

This week, Kellen has had to learn to take leadership in unexpected situations. He has had decisions lie on his shoulders that wouldn't have gone to him before. I have questions about what will happen in the future; will Kellen be successful in his decisions and then making his way up the leading chain? What will the army have to do to combat the the growing threat of the Demons? I hope I find out soon.

The Obsidian Trilogy is a good series full of mythical concepts including different creatures and many kinds of magic. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy books that have entire worlds of magic.

I rate this book 8/10 so far.

When Darkness Falls: The Obsidian Trilogy Book 3 (Week 2)

So far, When Darkness Falls has been interesting. Not much overly exciting has happened yet, as I'm not too far in, but I can feel the suspense very slowly building up for a climax that will probably surprise me.

Not much surprising happened in my week's reading. But now that Jermayan is returning to the army base camp, I have questions about what will happen next. Has the army been successful? Has it experienced defeat? I think that probably nothing has happened but something interesting might happen soon. Otherwise I can think of nothing else.

I rate this book 8.5/10 so far.

When Darkness Falls; Book 3 of the Obsidian Trilogy (Weekly Review)

Since books in the Obsidian Trilogy are very long (~600 in large hardcovers, ~800 in small paperbacks), this week I can't review a whole book but must make my first weekly reading review.

In my reading this week, Jermayan, Kellen's (the main character) elf friend, has been sent to the Elf city of Lerkalpoldara to evacuate the children and pregnant women to a fort so they will be protected during the war. Surprisingly, when Jermayan arrives, he finds that the city is under siege by some of the Demons' creations. Also, none of the pregnant women that are there want to leave because they want to stay and help. So will Jermayan be able to defeat the monsters attacking Lerkalpoldara? Will he find a way to get the pregnant women to leave, or will he have to let them stay? I'll find out this week in my reading.

I Rate this book 8/10 so far.

To Light a Candle; The Obsidian Trilogy Book 2 ©

To Light a Candle is the 2nd installment in the Obsidian Trilogy. I feel that it is even better than The Outstretched Shadow, which is book one. I feel this because the book has more action, more suspense, and just seems overall more colorful. More characters and plot twists have been added, such as dragons (as you can see from the cover) and other creatures. 

I rate this book 8.5/10.

**SPOILER ALERT**

The rest of this review contains spoilers from the first book, The Outstretched Shadow. To continue, click Read More.

The Outstretched Shadow; The Obsidian Trilogy Book 1 ©

17-year old Kellen Tavadon should have the perfect life. He lives in the great human city of Armethalieh, which is ruled by powerful mages. He is even the son of the Arch Mage Lycaelon Tavadon, the most powerful mage in the whole city. And yet... he's not happy. All he's ever wanted is to gain his father's love. But he can't seem to gain even that, no matter how hard he tries. But this all changes when he finds three books of magic that seem to hide their appearance to anyone else. The Wild Magic in these books is different from the High Magick that he has learned his entire life. It takes less preparation, but it also has a "Price" that must be paid for each spell. And... it's forbidden. Will Kellen keep the books or throw them away? Will his father find out? Find out what happens in The Outstretched Shadow.


The Outstretched Shadow is a fantasy book filled with magic, elves, demons, unicorns, and other magical topics. Although that might seem childish, I quite enjoyed this book and the rest of the series. I recommend The Outstretched Shadow and the Obsidian Trilogy to anyone who likes fantasy books like it.

I rate this book 8/10.

Next week's review: To Light a Candle, Book 2 of the Obsidian Trilogy.