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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Review of The Lost Lands (The Pelagius Chronicles #2) by Gareth Griffith

The Lost Lands (The Pelagius Chronicles #2) by Gareth Griffith
Format:  Ebook
Publisher:  Independently published
Number of pages:  325
Published:  March 4th, 2021
Source:  Cathryn Wynn-Jones via
Lodestar Author Services

Opening Lines: "Long ago, when the world was young, a thief came into the house of the gods and stole something that was theirs and theirs alone." 

 The Voting Tree is the first book in the Pelagius Chronicles and introduced the main character, Sam and his new found friends, Hamish, Sylvia, Athena and Oscar.  It's a fantasy adventure involving a fig tree and an ancient prophecy. A prophecy that foretold of the true heir to the throne of the Land of Pelas being restored and bringing about an end to the constant winters plaguing the land.

The Lost Lands begins approximately six months after the first book.  Sam has reunited with his friends in Sydney to watch the Olympics, but upon arriving discovers his friend Hamish is missing.  In order to find Hamish, they return once again to the fig tree for guidance.  At first nothing happens, but then Lulu appears and with her help they're transported to a black rock in the middle of the ocean.  Meanwhile, Pelagius is told the story of how the Dark Council of the Underworld used a thief to trick the Gatekeeper of the Land of Tethra into wagering the lands of the Gods over a game of chance.  Having lost the lands to the thief, the Gods have now formed the Council of Light  and tasked Pelagius with reclaiming the lands.  Pelagius then rescues the four friends stranded in the ocean, and they sail to confront the thief.  Once they come face to face, the thief challenges them to a contest or battle of wit.  Each one of the friends will be tested, tasked with a game that they must win.  The one tested last must not fail or all will die and Pelagius will become the thief's prisoner.  Do Sam and his friends have what it takes to outwit the thief and save Hamish, as well as return the Land of Tethra to the Gods?

 I loved all of the details about the setting in The Lost Lands, things like the descriptions of the waterfalls and how the islands were "growing out of the water in shapes of caps and hats."  According to the author, he used Tongariro National Park in the North Island of New Zealand for the inspiration for the landscape in the book.  I also enjoyed how the author provided sort of mini stories between the main plot to explain some of the history of the Lost Lands, for example the history of the fire gods, Mwg, Llydw and Tan and how they formed the islands.   I thought the thief's tasks were pretty challenging, although he really didn't seem to be playing fair.  He seemed to have a knack for choosing tasks  that got at the characters insecurities or played into one of their weaknesses.  And poor Sam, having to wait through each task, beginning to stress and worry that he might fail his challenge.  It's nice to see a group of friends who were supportive and encouraging Sam, which helped him to overcome his anxiety and fears.  Lastly,  I enjoyed the messaging of the story, that sometimes it takes someone ordinary to do something extraordinary.    *A huge thank you to the author and Cathryn Wynn-Jones at Lodestar Author Services for my review copy. *        

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