Merchant of Alyss is the second in the Legends of the Realm high fantasy series by author Thomas Locke. After the battle with the crimson mage, Hyam is struggling to deal with life without magic. When scrolls are discovered that only he can read and when he begins to hear the voice of a dragon, a creature long thought extinct, he and his wife, Joelle along with friends both new and old embark on a new quest that will bring them up against a foe even more cunning and ruthless than the mage.

Merchant of Alyss is well written with interesting characters, world-building and magic system. I did have problems with the unrequited love story which seemed to serve no real purpose except to outline the devotion Hyam feels for Joelle. But with that one exception I very much enjoyed this book. Although most of the storylines are tied up quite satisfactorily by the end of the book, it leaves enough open to make me want to read the next installment. Definitely a fun read for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. ( )

I liked how the author introduced the characters so that anyone reading the story regardless if they were familiar with his work or not would know who they were. The author did a great job of drawing you into the world of the characters.
The story starts out with our Hero Hyam trying to accept the loss of his magic, but accepting the praise of his heroics that caused the loss of the magic. He soon comes into possession of a scroll that will give him some powers, but it also gives him insight that he does not know what do do with. This book takes us on his journey to understand what it means and a chance to be a hero again.
I received a copy of the book free from the publisher to review. ( )

I received a free copy of Merchant of Alyss from GoodReads.

This is the second book in the Legends of the Realm series by Thomas Locke (aka Davis Bunn) and I enjoyed it so much I've already ordered the first book from Amazon. Merchant of Alyss is such a wonderful book that it has me reevaluating other fantasy novels I've read over the years. My only criticism is that sometimes events in the book move so fast that there's an outline feeling to the action--but believe me, this isn't a problem it's just me wishing there was more pages in the book. I never wanted it to end. The characters are well drawn and the drama intense. This is an incredible book. ( )

A fantasy world vibrant with imagination, deep magic, and characters you will cheer for.

I really enjoyed Merchant of Alyss! As Thomas Locke's second novel in the Legends of the Realm series, he follows the solid foundation laid in Emissary (book one) and thrills his readers with yet another fantastical tale of magic, quests, and danger.

We see Hyam, the main character, moving on in the aftermath of his heroic sacrifice from the end book one. He's touted as a hero everywhere he goes in Falmouth, yet he's still the burdened, slightly enigmatic character from Emissary. As I noticed in the first book, Hyam isn't (to me at least) an overtly emotional character. Through events I won't mention here (no spoilers my friends) I expect that he should be more emotional than he is, and yet his stoic, burdened nature doesn't bother me. It allows for the plot and supporting characters to take precedence which suits the genre well.

I love the elements of magic and lore that Locke incorporates in this second book and felt that Hyam's quests unfolded just as I would expect from a fantasy, yet not in an "expected" way. The pull toward the end of the story was strong, the battles just as epic (if not more so) as book one, and the many moving parts and colorful character groups created a seamless story world worthy of Tolkien. I also enjoyed Locke's descriptive writing which allowed me to truly visualize everything that was happening. There is one portion (a character really) of the story I'm not quite convinced on (again, no spoilers) but I have faith that Locke will bring it around in book three.

If you enjoy fantasy of any kind you will love this book. I would recommend reading Emissary first, only for the fact that the story will likely make a lot more sense to you and will, in turn, be more satisfying. I'm already looking forward to book three and what Hyam will accompolish there.

...Oh, and of course, the cover is spectacular. Almost as good as the cover for Emissary (in my opinion).

My rating: 4.5*

Originally posted on my blog: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/2016/01/merchant-of-alyss-by-thomas-locke-review.h...
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I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own. ( )

Thomas Locke has done it again! Merchant of Alyss continues Hyam’s adventures and what fantastic adventures they are!
The first book in the series, Emissary, ended with Hyam’s epic battle with the crimson mage. In defeating the crimson enemy, Hyam destroys his orb of power and virtually burns his own magic away. As Merchant of Alyss begins, Hyam is still recovering – leading a life of peace and rest with his wife, Joelle. One afternoon, while Hyam naps, a magical visitor arrives at his home intent on doing him harm. As the grove of trees surrounding his home moves to become an impenetrable fence, the visitor attempts to blast his/her way through. While the blast is heard by everyone in the nearby town, Hyam sleeps through the whole thing. His dreams are undisturbed – until the dragon arrives asking for his help.
Hyam drags his feet. What can he really do without magic anyway? The discovery of a trove of Milantian scrolls which detail various spells of war sparks his interest. It is the witch’s attack on his wife, Joelle, that finally sends him on the quest to help the dragon. In so doing, he hopes to find the means to heal Joelle.
I’ve hesitated to compare these books to C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books but the similarities are there. Hyam is led by a talking eagle and directed by a talking dragon who befriends him. He travels through fantastical worlds with perils never seen by human eyes. He brings together people of many races – Milantian, Ashanta, Elven, dragon and human – and leads them as a general might lead an army. He is able to discern those who would use magic for evil from those who use it for good. And he always uses it for good. In spite of his humble beginnings, Hyam shows greatness in humility and love through sacrifice.
If you haven’t already read Emissary I would encourage you to start there before tackling Merchant of Alyss. While I think Merchant can stand on its own it is much easier to understand Hyam’s thinking when you know where he’s been. I have LOVED this series and I don’t generally read fantasy. Thomas Locke captures the imagination and paints word pictures with the best. I look forward to the third installment in the Legends of the Realm series!
I received this book from the author as part of his launch team! ( )