Adversarius: Shadow of the Rose(Book One) is a High Fantasy novel with a lot of action and a lot of characters. At first, I had a hard time keeping track of all of the many different characters and their names. After that was figured out, it was more of a smooth read for me. There are many characters that would vie for status as "main" characters because you have several story-lines going on in this novel. Some of my favorites would have to be Nightshadow, the woman assassin, and the priest named Rose( there is nothing feminine about him!) They had some of the best lines and plots in the book. Of course the evil villain, the King of Relavia, Li'endrin,is about as bad as bad gets. I didn't see any goodness in him at all. Anyone that did what he did, to his own children, is an awful creature. Speaking of creatures, there were many different kinds in the story, including dragons, elves, and ogres to add to the excitement.I really did like the half-ogre, Farrehn. He made me laugh a lot, and really did have a good heart.
There is a lot to like about this first novel, by Author M.L. Chesley. If you don't get distracted by the strange names and the many characters, you will find a good fantasy that will keep you involved. Be ready for a cliff-hanger at the end,which will leave you itching for book #2 in the series
