REVIEW: The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1) by K.D. Edwards
Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment’s missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home.
With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam’s relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune’s Court.
In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family’s death and the torments of his past?
Dear K.D. Edwards,
So apparently after Atlantis was destroyed, the people who lived there built a New Atlantis on the island somewhere within the limits of State of Massachusetts. New Atlantis people live very interesting and exciting lives. Often such excitement turns deadly. Oh and I had to talk myself into accepting as given that Courts who rule the city are divided according to the Cards of Tarot deck. I have very passing familiarity with Tarot cards, basically some of them sounded familiar and some powers are explained along the way, however I am sure that a lot of magic that will come into play later will come as a surprise for me, and probably the names of Magical Courts alone served as some kind of clues/foreshadowing, but were lost on me.
The book is written from the first person POV and Rune Saint John, last member of the Sun Court narrates it. When he was fifteen Sun court was destroyed, his father murdered and he badly hurt ( raped). Now Rune and his Companion Brand do odd jobs on behalf of Lord Tower and whoever else hires them I am assuming.
In the very beginning Rune and some other Atlantians participate in the “sanctioned raid” on Lovers court – because they “turned bad” (paraphrase). I am not sure yet just how much I accept this premise – that as long as the raid is sanctioned, it is okay to destroy one of the courts ( simply because Rune’s court was destroyed years ago and it is clearly presented as a huge trauma for him). However the whole book presents Rune as a good guy and I do not have much reason to distrust him either. In any event, as a result of this raid Rune is giving an Oath to the Arcana of the Lovers court and ends up getting her grandson Mattias ( Max) as a ward.
Shortly after Lord Tower Rune’s sometimes ruthless employer and Arcana ( Leader?) of one of the most powerful courts in New Atlantis hire Rune ( and where Rune goes Brand does) to find Addam, one of the sons of Lady Justice who disappeared and could be in mortal danger.Rune starts the investigation and this quick breath of the air after the raid on Lovers Court is almost the last one in the book. The action starts moving fast and furiously and one of my small criticisms of the book is that I needed a breather. I love action, I really do, but occasionally in this book ( NOT all the time) it was a bit much for me. Not in a sense that it hurt the pacing, but I did not feel that it always advanced character development.
I know this feels contradictory with what I just wrote, but the character development did take place and interactions between Rune and Brand and Max and couple other characters were great, sweet and occasionally even humorous amongst all the action, I just wanted more.
If you are looking for romance, all I can offer you is – maybe, there are definitely pointers that it may happen later and there is attraction, but right now I would not call it a romance yet.
I know it is the first book in the series and there are some questions left unanswered. I am very much looking forward to Rune’s further adventures.
AmazonBNKoboBook DepositoryGoogle
Thanks for this review, Sirius. I was a little hesitant about the $9.99 price, but I bit the bullet and paid it, and I’m glad I did. This was a great read, and I can’t wait for the sequel.
@etv13: Oh I am so glad, this is so far one of the best books I read this year, let’s wait for the second one together :)
Hey! Thanks for the cool review. And I love the “Dear Author” style. Be well……….. KD