In Siege of Daylight
In Siege of Daylight: Book One of Light, Dark & Shadow is an epic fantasy with richly developed characters and a strong debut for a promising new series.
Calvraign, the hero of the tale, is an apprentice to the king’s bard. His studies are filled with prophecy, romance, mythic enemies, and magic, and he contents himself with such fantasies until the day that he is suddenly called to the capital city. His best friend Callagh, the most skilled huntress in their village, senses something isn’t right with Calvraign’s hasty summons and follows him. Her instincts prove true, as his arrival throws the king’s court into chaos, and the two are abruptly torn from their simple country life and plunged into the real-life version of Calvraign’s tales.
A dead wizard’s menacing prophecy reveals that an all-encompassing dark magic has already been loosed upon the world, and there is only one way to stop it. Calvraign and Callagh must protect the life of the crown prince, Hiruld, at all costs. They are forced to contend with the realities of the king’s court – a constantly shifting web of intrigue, romance, and carefully executed maneuvers hidden behind the glittering façade of royal life – while simultaneously battling dark forces to keep Hiruld alive. Calvraign must find a way to ensure that all is not lost and that evil cannot triumph for all eternity. And Callagh must keep him alive long enough to do it....
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Gregory S. Close
Gregory S. Close has lived on both coasts of the United States (and that wholesome corn-fed part in-between) as well as Dundalk, Ireland and the tiny islands of the Kwajalein Atoll.
Greg loves travelling and sampling the native cultures, foods, customs, and beers of the world. Greg is married to a rocket scientist and lives in California with his two daughters, a cat, and one and a half dogs.
Compendium of Light, Dark & Shadow
Compendium of Light, Dark & Shadow consists of one book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
Are you a fan of traditional fantasy? In Seige 0f Daylight delivers a sweeping fantasy tale full of adventure, prophecy, and intrigue. Author Gregory S. Close translates many of the familiar tropes into his own breed of characters—characters with flavor and rich backgrounds in a setting that is comfortable, but not too familiar. His pacing is spot-on, and his prose provides some lovely scenes. If there's one thing that interrupted the read, it would be the naming conventions. Close veers from horrendous, unpronounceable, apostrophe-ridden monikers to French (what?) names without missing a beat. Many of the characters and creatures share names so similar that they confuse. If you can ignore that, a compelling prologue catapults the reader into the first chapter, where the young protagonist makes his debut. I wanted to slap him several times, but that's a good thing; a young apprentice who knows everything, can do everything, and doesn't demonstrate his actual youth is difficult to believe. Calvraign may be a quick study, but he's also victim to a mercurial temper and a teenage sense of invincibility. The other figures introduced in this story are equally well developed — no cardboard cut-outs here. Aside from the names, the other races are introduced without the baggage of an info dump, yet they flow into the tale smoothly, and still leave room for surprises. The plot unwinds at a good pace, displaying contrasting cultures, veiled histories, and surprise reveals. While the territory is familiar, Close does a fine job of keeping it from being cliché. In spite of the number of character views, he’s kept them in balance and done it in a way that coaxes the reader to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. He is clearly a storyteller worth watching.