Book Review of Venom and Song

If you like fantasy, buy this book, and buy it now.

They say you can't judge a book by it's cover, but in this case, you can.  Venom and Song, Book 2 of the Berinfell Prophesies, by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, has a gorgeous cover with beautiful graphics:  a spooky tower, people flying on the backs of either giant dragonflies or giant birds, a dark and mystical sky.

The back of the book blurb promises adventure in the lyrical sounding land of Allyra, a land with Elf Lords, Spider Kings, and a secret.

Who could resist picking up a book like this?

The interior of the book is as beautiful as the outside, with thick, off-white pages that feel rich.  This is not a cheaply made book by any means...it is luxurious.

Once I started reading, I forgot all about things like font size and graphics....the authors immediately draw readers into their world with prose that sounds like poetry. The book is beautifully written.

The action and adventure start immediately.  The Elf Lords... 7 regular kids from Earth who found out that they aren't exactly "regular kids", are travelling through Allyra, and it is a dangerous journey.  There is a traitor among them...which adds to the suspense.  There is a battle almost immediately.

I don't want to give away the plot, but I will say that readers are in for a treat.  Besides the action, adventure, and suspense, of which there is plenty, there is character development as we watch the 7 young teenage Elf Lords learn about themselves and each other.  Each teen has special powers, and they must learn how to hone these powers, use them, not only alone, but cooperatively.  They must act as a cohesive group, and they must trust one another...a task they first learn while in a deep, dark cave.

The setting...I should say settings...are spectacular.  There are caves and caverns, underground rivers and waterfalls, treetop hideaways, a "Thousand-League Forest", hills and valleys, fortresses and towers.

The characters are amazing...Elves, Gnomes, Drefids, and spiders...lots of spiders, to name a few.

There is spirituality in this book too, but there is no sermonizing.  Readers won't feel like they're being preached at, but will rather see how the characters learn to to have faith in something or someone greater than themselves.

This is a fun read, and I am looking forward to reading the first book in the series.
Buy this book; you won't be disappointed.