The Blood Stream — John Edgell

The Blood Stream is a supremely intriguing fantasy tale spin-off of the author's Accidental Heroes series and appears as an addendum to Labyrinth, the fifth book in the series. This intriguing fantasy tale will suck you in and give pause to contemplate issues of the heart. It is one of the author's Quick Read Books (books of 80 to 150 pages designed for a satisfying quick read) that will keep you turning the pages until there are no more pages to turn. Kandras and Kovan, inseparable twin brothers and defenders of truth in the realm, are known to the locals as The Outryders. Dressed in leather kilts and vests, astride white stallions, these young men strike a warrior-like pose as they journey the realm in their quest for justice. Their story begins in Bethyia, a land to the west and past the sea, inhabited by elves, dwarves, aos (or wolfmen), bakru (related to hobbits), and a remnant of men known as sages with uncommon powers. After the death of their parents, Kandras and Kovan visit the miffit Ander at the Tower of Arpad, west of the Alfheim River in southeast Ragnarok Deep, known as Ragwood. Kandras and Kovan had rescued Ander many years ago from a pit of darkness where he had been held captive by evil men. While there, Kandras becomes obsessed with the reality of evil in the hearts of men, including his own. Kovan does not understand his brother's pensive mood, let alone his preoccupation with the reality of evil. Kandras' preoccupation causes a breach between his brother and him and takes them separate paths to a sphere of reality beyond the realm of men. The brothers who have faced great evils without must now face the evil that resides within, an evil that brings them to where the life of one brother rests in the hands of the other. Although the story is fantasy, and contains much allegory, the reader can relate to Kandras' fixation on the knowledge of evil within his heart. Although Kandras and Kovan have spent much of their young lives serving Baruch and traveling the realm tirelessly, through much danger and risk of life, all of their good deeds cannot quench Kandras' thirst for answers as to the state of his own heart. The reader of this intriguing fantasy tale will encounter uncommon places and events, whose descriptions at times will seem like something from another world. Waiths -- beings with evil intent -- must be destroyed, yet a shocking and surprising twist makes destroying them all but impossible. Kandras is constantly forced to choose between his heart and mind, and the orders given to him by the old man. Unknown to either brother, each will make his own journey and be presented with the same daunting challenge! How will they ever find answers when they are so conflicted with competing desires and convictions? The answer may surprise you, and hopefully it will answer some of your own life questions. If you enjoy this intriguing fantasy tale then you will enjoy the author's Accidental Heroes series in which it is rooted. You will find Kandras, Kovan and Ander in these fantasy tales from that series: Terminus, Primal Blade and Labyrinth. The Blood Stream will take you on a fascinating journey into a world of reality clothed in the wonder of fantasy. If you are looking for a new read, an innovative and mind-engaging author with a fresh approach to writing fantasy fiction then you will want to consider this author. He writes a broad spectrum of fantasy books, from medieval fantasy to pirate fantasy, from fairytales to allegories, and from fun anthologies to pirate fantasies. He is a prolific writer with a remarkable imagination.