Blog Tour and Giveaway: Tallis by Killian McRae

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Tallis by Killian McRae

Release Date: April 2012

Publisher: Tulipe Noire Press
Author Information: Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Genre: Short Story, Fantasy, Magic

Available Formats: Paperback and eBook

My Shelf:  Own (eBook)
Buy the Book: Amazon

The Empire of Andresium is threatened by the corruption of the immortals, ancient beings given the gift of eternal life after the death of the last reigning empress. A prophecy speaks of their eventual downfall at the hands of one of their own, however. Tallis is known by most simply as "The Loren," and seeks to avoid her destiny while trying herself to remain untainted by the decaying morals and indifference to the fates of men that plague her kind. As the events of the prophecy begin to unfold, Tallis finds herself conflicted between upholding her dedication to justice, and falling victim to the ramifications of following the desires of her own heart.

Please excuse me is this is less of a review and more of an ode to McRae’s prose. There is something about her writing that drew me in, and I enjoyed reading every word. It was the best thing about the book, in my opinion! Her prose was lush and beautifully descriptive, and the words just seemed to flow and fall right off the page. Here are a few examples (I included one romantic example for us diehard romantics out there *swoon*):

Night was a harbor to them, sheltering their words as they sat, locked in conversation under the vastness of the heavens, until the dawning sun again tugged at their paradise. The stoic gave way to the poet, as the Loren told the Systerian of distant lands and ancient times.

“My eyes refuse to drift from yours. My hand tells me touch, and I can scarcely recall my control before it has drifted away from my side. My feet carry me to you, longing to pass time which I have not, and knowing how it should be spent in meditation of what’s to come.”

I just fell in love with McRae’s writing style. It is unique, it fits the tone of the novel exceptionally well, and it made the book that much more enjoyable for me to read.

Alright, I am going to try and leave the whole prose thing behind for now. Onto other things! This book, being only ~60 pages long, is more of short story than anything, but do not let that fool you! It is packed full of romance, fantasy, betrayal, magic, and so much more. Tallis, the main character of the story, is one of the few remaining immortals, and she has a wealth of long sought-after magical knowledge that the other immortals would do just about anything to learn. She faces some hard times and difficult dilemmas, but she remains resolute and steadfast through everything. She is definitely a strong female character, and I immediately liked her when she started throwing some carefully scripted insults in guys’ faces (you have got to love a girl who can tell guys off!). Overall, she was a brilliant lead, and I cannot wait to read more about her and the future that awaits her in the next book.

The only downside to this book is the fact that it is so short, and the only reason I am really saying that is because I want more! Readers, beware, this book ends in a cliffhanger that will leave you craving the next installment in the series. Also, with so much stuffed into 60 pages, the book could get rather intense at times in terms of backstory and plot explanations, but it was relatively easy to follow along with what was occurring/being explained. McRae does a wonderful job packing everything into such a short story, and with great characters, an intriguing plot, and lyrical prose, Tallis is a book you should not miss out on!

A Great Escape!

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