The Aussie Zombie

Fantasy is not my genre - I love a good zombie and the occassional vampire or werewolf, but demons and warlocks and trolls aren't really my thing. I'm not sure quite WHY, but we've just never really clicked. But The Protector series is one that I've heard loads about, and it sounded pretty damn good so once again it was time to step out of the comfort zone and try something different.

Exiled opens with the shocker of Chase being thrown out of the Circle for not having any magic despite his impressive family bloodline, and learning pretty damn quickly to survive in a world where demons are constantly trying to kill him, without the help of magic.

I really liked Chase - he's stubborn and handy with a dagger, but also shows incredibly loyalty to the people that are important to him, and with a smart-ass attitude he is just the kind of character I enjoy meeting in the pages of a book. There are a cast of other characters, both goodies and baddies, and all of them are well-rounded, memorable and unique. And unlike many other fantasy novels, there is something for everyone - vampires, witches and trolls compete and work together throughout the story.

Exiled runs at a pretty fast pace - there are very few periods of downtime, and those scenes that are a little slower are vital to the plot, so it's a fast and furious read. There are frantic, scary fight scenes and more than a little bit of magic to keep even the most die-hard fantasy fan happy.

And those trolls and warlocks? Well I may have to rethink my stance on that - M.R. Merrick has created a fantasy world that isn't overwhelmingly extreme, yet is imaginative, fun and scary all at the same time. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series.

Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie