"Drew Karpyshyn has made his mark with imaginative, action-packed work on several acclaimed videogames, including Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, as well as in a succession of New York Times bestselling tie-in novels. Now Karpyshyn introduces a brilliantly innovative epic fantasy of perilous quests, tormented heroes, and darkest sorcery--a thrilling adventure that vaults him into the company of such authors as Terry Goodkind, Brandon Sanderson, and Peter V. Brett. Long ago the gods chose a great hero to act as their agent in the mortal world and to stand against the demonic spawn of Chaos. The gods gifted their champion, Daemron, with three magical Talismans: a sword, a ring, and a crown. But the awesome power at his command corrupted Daemron, turning him from savior to destroyer. Filled with pride, he dared to challenge the gods themselves. Siding with the Chaos spawn, Daemron waged a titanic battle against the Immortals. In the end, Daemron was defeated, the Talismans were lost, and Chaos was sealed off behind the Legacy--a magical barrier the gods sacrificed themselves to create. Now the Legacy is fading. On the other side, the banished Daemron stirs. And across the scattered corners of the land, four children are born of suffering and strife, each touched by one aspect of Daemron himself--wizard, warrior, prophet, king. Bound by a connection deeper than blood, the Children of Fire will either restore the Legacy or bring it crashing down, freeing Daemron to wreak his vengeance upon the mortal world"--
Honestly, I don't know anything about Drew Karpyshyn. I will admit that what drew me to this book was the background mentioned of his work within the video game realm. Video games have changed so much, and many are very story/character driven, with storylines that would rival some of the best novels. So in that vein, I was quite curious. However, I'm still sort of on the fence.
Don't get me wrong - the world Karpyshyn has created is fantastic. The background of the story is good, and I like where this seems to be going. However. For liking the world as much as I do, I really don't feel like I have much of a connection to the characters themselves. I'm *guessing* this may be due, in part, to the massive world-building that is going on, but it definitely hindered my desire to continue reading. For being a fantasy novel, with a terrifically creative world, I had to work pretty hard to convince myself to get back to the story when I put it down.
Having said that - I would probably get the second book (from the library) when it comes out to see if I want to continue reading. The characters do seem like they have plenty of room for growth, and maybe there will be a better opportunity for that once some of the immense world is fully fleshed out. I have hopes that it will get there, and I'm intrigued enough with everything else to give it another shot!
