By the Hand of Dragons: AlinGuard

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: AlinGuard

As Shefa travels the world he will one day rule he comes across AlinTown. There he learns of the famous prison AlinGuard, said to hold the worst criminals of all time. But they are no longer contained. They've taken over the prison and are wreaking havoc for the town. Anyone sent to reclaim the prison is never heard from again. But what happens when one monster confronts another? Shefa offers his services to clean out the prison and of course wouldn't it be fun to take them on?

If you are looking for a fast-paced fantasy novel filled with epic battles, then look no further. There is never a dull moment in AlinGuard. I would suggest you have a strong stomach and a penchant for blood, as there are no details left unsaid. Body parts fly and blood will spray, and I loved every bloody minute of it. Fans of dark fantasy, Alexzander Christion is your newest author to watch out for.

I jumped into this book knowing it wasn't the first in the series. Ordinarily, I wouldn't do this, but it was suggested I read AlinGuard first and I saw this as an opportunity to challenge the writing. Could this novel actual stand on its own? And yes, yes it can. I never once felt confused about the world, or how the magic system worked. There was enough of a backstory worked in to let me know the characters' origins, but not enough to say that I won't go back and read the previous book. In fact, AlinGuard made me want to read the first novel, Rook, even more. I have to find out how Shefa came to be who he is!

And as for Shefa, he is immensely powerful. I was worried that with such a character things would come too easily to him. But no, he still has to struggle and sacrifice as any other character would. Granted it's a hell of a lot more entertaining because of the amount of power he wields and the types of creatures he must face that can even compare to him.

I highly recommend this for fans of the fantasy genre, though I would say this does lean more so towards the darker side of the genre.