This author and book have been very actively discussed for some months now on Goodreads. 
 While following some of these discussions, I became curious about the book. I looked it up on Amazon and found that it was a free Kindle download. With that financial incentive, I decided to take a look for myself to get some perspectives on the discussions. 
 I have begun to do just that. And my major impression is that I should allow the writing to speak for itself in this case. There are times when nothing will convey the sense and fullness of a book as well as the author's own words. 
 With that said, some of the following quoted excerpts may contain spoilers. Accordingly, all excerpts have been treated here as one continuous spoiler. 
 This book is currently available as a free Kindle download. I own a copy. The excerpts are from early portions of the book, may not be in strict order, and are not intended and should not be taken as a narrative. 
 I have not finished the book - yet - and do not plan to rate it. If you enjoy reading the following excerpts, I would encourage you to download and read the book - it is free, after all. 
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 (view spoiler)["Wind in the subterranean caverns that wove deeply into the heart of the land whistled a musical sound that echoed through the winding passages, falling just short of discovering underground secrets that were lost to the ages." 
 "The man in black was tall and broad, with thick black hair that was sleeked back from his brow and dark eyebrows that slanted menacingly." 
 "His eyes combed the light of the torches that spotted the mantlet wall of the ward, as if he were looking for minute cracks in it that held the answer." 
 "His intense blue eyes blazed with an icy rage that he was too weak to physically muster." 
 " "Now that it comes to me, I should have done this first," he hissed as the blood red stone hanging from the cord around his neck shone brilliantly in the darkness, bathing the scene in an ominous red light." 
 "Duquaine tried to call him a traitor but his head straightened, forcing his face upwards to peer into the deepness of the night, and then he felt his jaw and hands freeze." 
 " "And so, Duquaine, we shall see, who is right and who is worse than dead," Lucce said with contempt as his muscled forefinger pressed the dark green stone hard into Duquaine's chest while his own crimson stone glowed yet again." 
 "In the distance she could hear the bells of the tower ringing in the holiday cheer and songs of merry-making well-wishers going about their business of gift-giving as so many of their ancestors had done for generations past." 
 "Chalice heeled Sunny down the cool, dark road. It was early, and morning mist covered the leaves of the thick forest with drops of dew that sparkled in the God rays peeking through the treetops." 
 "Papa had given her plenty of money that she kept tucked away in her bag: a bulging leather purse of fifty gold coronals, thirty-five silver sterlings, and twenty copper pence." 
 "These were the last words she had heard him say before he had her hoisted up onto Sunny, with her bags hastily packed, and slapped the horse on the rear, sending him into an immediate gallop." 
 "She recalled that as Sunny launched forward at full speed, she had managed to glance back." 
 "Using the old, updated map Papa had tossed into her bag, she found her way through Blackburn forest, just south of the Darrenfell Moor, through the Plains of Chauma to the Trui'Quirre Mountains, the path through which she had to negotiate carefully. It skirted the edge of the Praeceps and at the bottom rested a series of razor sharp rocks with which she did not want to become too familiar. 
 "Chalice was also very beautiful. She had fair skin and a smooth oval face that was caressed by long, golden, butternut curls. They folded down the sides of her cheeks and framed her red rosebud mouth, button nose, and large sapphire eyes that were decorated with long dark eyelashes. She wore an ocean-blue riding habit that was split in the skirt for straddling a horse and laced with a wavy pattern down the sides. It was comfortable and snug in the bosom and waist, but flared out at the bottom. What held in her body heat, though, was her darkly tanned, hooded, riding cloak that she had made out of lambskin. It was resilient and leathery on the outside for protection, and soft and furry on the inside for warmth. On the ring finger of her right hand, she donned a golden ring with a rare, long-cut, ice-blue diamond set in the heart of it. She was told that it had once belonged to her mother. On her riding dress, just below her left shoulder, hung a sapphire broach given to her by her grandmother, Naelli. However much she valued these gemstones from her mother and grandmother, her favored possession was the golden pendant around her neck that she kept close to her skin, under her garments. It held a golden amulet that Papa had had crafted by Elijah, Creone's master smith who lived on the outskirts of Canton. The amulet was a circle that contained three lines meeting in the center and ending on the perimeter, not quite equidistant from one another, so that they formed what looked like a Y enclosed in the circle. The amulet was special, not only because it was a gift from Papa, whom she loved dearly, but also because it was the exact shape of a distinct and unique birthmark on her right shoulder. At one time she had been doubtful that she was born with the mark because it was so unusual, but Papa had sworn that she was. He called it her lucky charm." 
 "Mount Vaassa was so enormous, the extent of her vision could not reach its snowcapped peaks." 
 "All the would-be masters of the mountain either froze to death or suffocated from lack of oxygen; that is, if they didn't perish by a fall to a cold and rocky end." 
 "After recently braving the middle passes, as far as she was concerned, having a healthy respect for the mountain was good and wise advice." 
 "They descended carefully and she tied his reins to the branch of a tree, the ground around which he immediately began searching for all the good green stuff that horses relished." 
 "After a few minutes of searching, she found some wood and kindling, and using her flint and steel, had a crackling fire lit and hot tea in her cup." 
 "In between the settees, lay a low wooden table inlaid with gold, which held an empty goblet and a few scattered books." 
 "She advanced further in and approached the large fireplace to the left that was worked in carved marble, until she stood on the white tiles of the hearth." 
 "She turned to examine the intricate Avielian tapestries that adorned the polished wall panels, and found that they depicted battle scenes of long ago, as it appeared by the attire of the men in the settings." 
 "Passing the hearth, she noticed two doorways, one on each side of the sitting room, and a double doorway in front of her, consisting of crystal squares framed in carved cedar, that revealed a terrace behind it, overlooking the ocean." 
 "Whoever it was, she knew they were wealthy, maybe even noble. The enormous four-poster supported an indigo canopy with a white, tasseled contour and milky chiffon drapes that veiled a soft feather mattress dressed in silk sheets. To the right sat a bedside table topped with a polished jewelry box and an antique washstand next to it." 
 "The light did not cease its wax and wane, but pulled her toward a tall, wooden armoire with glass doors, that she opened to gaze upon a blue gem enclosed in a crystal case." 
 "She reached for it but was thwarted by an invisible barrier that stayed her hand. Then she knew she could not touch it and its beating was somehow telling her that it was time to ascend the staircase." 
 "As she entered the courtyard, she glanced to her right through the embrasure to see the golden ball of the sun over the watery distance. It was full morning and she closed her eyes to the rush of salty air as the wind blew her hair from her face. She could hear the cawing of the sea graels in the distance and smell the rich scent of the ocean." 
 "She tracked them to the other side, marking the areas of displacement of the small ground stones and fallen leaves. These she followed like breadcrumbs to a great oaden tree with deep-grained bark that was supported by enormous, thick roots." 
 "All she saw was a brown blur and before she could catch her breath to ask it to stay, the treetops were swishing back and forth, not because of the wind, though, but because that was how the Chinuka traveled when they did not want to be seen." 
 "Kirna was the only one who could best her at sparring but Tycho, on the other hand, was never very coordinated. Although, he could make you laugh when you wanted to rage, or cry, depending on your mood. At times, it was his best defense, for it was often hard to concentrate and keep your strength when you tickled inside with mirth." 
 "Bags of baked bread lay in their baskets around the room, while sweets and pastries hid behind the glass case of the front counter. An old grandfather clock chimed five o'clock on the wall above the coffer and five pence lay scattered on the counter to the left. Everything seemed intact and normal, except there was no one in sight." 
 "To the right, on the bar counter, lay an array of tankards. Behind it, the wall was given to casks of ale, wine, and brandy, with spigots jutting out for a barman to service the next customer. At the far end, lay a water pitcher on the bar and an empty bucket on the polished wooden floor. She glanced around the room and, again, saw no one." 
 "She thought that if anything, it was for the hope of the safe return of the villagers who belonged there." 
 "The light fluttering and singing cries of a flock of greywings drifted overhead as she and Sunny strode down Main, right onto Pine, and out of the village." 
 "From the gritty scent of the air, she could make an educated guess as to what lay beyond it and she would more than likely be right." 
 "The hall of the stable gave access to the horse stalls, four on each side, a tack room in the back, and a hayloft above it with an attached stepladder on the right side." 
 "Fortunately, if that had been the bird's original intention, it quickly changed its mind, leveled its flight and soared out toward the waterfront above the pier, and then east along the river." 
 "Sturdy and strong, the house was built to endure like most everything she had seen on the farm. Two levels, with small windows on all sides, it sat boldly along the waterfront, daring the elements to challenge the safe haven it provided for its inhabitants." 
 "On the right side lay an open barrel of firewood, freshly cut given the condition of the axe that was propped up against the side of the house. This gave her some encouragement. It was another sign that someone was there." 
 "At that point she also realized that not only was there no light glowing from inside, which there would have been by this time if someone was home, but also, no one had come out of the house yet to greet her. This was odd because surely they would have seen her by now." 
 "Stamping down a shiver, that she thought may have had nothing to do with the cold, she buttoned her lambskin cloak to the collar and pulled up the hood to keep her head and neck warm." 
 "She told herself, however, that the house was, more likely, just abandoned, like the village had been, so she plucked up her courage and proceeded to enter. 
 "What caught her eye, though, were the standlamps next to the loveseats. They weren't oil lamps. In fact, she had no idea which type they were or how they produced light, but it was obvious that they were lamps." 
 "They were set between the window opening out into the front yard and an enormous fireplace and chimney worked in sandstone with a black pot hanging from a spit on a rotisserie and fresh cut firewood underneath. In between the back side of the hearth and the back window to the waterfront yard, stood a wooden kitchen table and four chairs." 
 "Mostly, it was just like any other kitchen she had seen with a large worktable, a cast-iron, wood-burning oven, and a wooden countertop for prepping and washing. A portion of the countertop, however, was inlaid with three metallic wash bins, each of which sprouted a spout above, which she assumed provided water for washing. But how?" 
 "The two walls on either side of the room were entirely given to bookshelves, from the top to the bottom and each wall offered a sliding ladder that gave access to whichever shelf a person needed to reach." 
 "By the sound of it, the jolt not only knocked the breath out of him, but also sent him flying across the room, to collide with the opposing bookshelf and fall crashing to the floor. Surprisingly the bookshelf held up fairly well. It only lost one thick book off the top shelf, that fell, unfortunately, right on top of the intruder's head, bounced off and landed on the floor next to him." 
 ""Ice box?" she inquired, with sudden curiosity, as the image of the strange contraption she had seen in the kitchen formed in her mind. She looked up at him and then, without warning, found herself falling to the floor, only to be halted halfway down thanks to his huge arms. She was lucky he had grown into such a strapping guy. As he pulled her to her feet, she glanced back at what had caused her to stumble and saw the fallen book sprawled out across the floor, its pages bent underneath its weight. She drew back slightly to collect it." 
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