The Tower of Shadows
Drew Bowling
Del Rey, Jan 2007, $19.95, 304 pp
ISBN 0345486707

In the town of Nautalia in the world of Ellynrie, Wren keeps his daughter on a very tight leash yet always goes at night to the tavern to drown away his sorrows. While there, the wizard Dale magically summons him, through the medallion he wears around his neck, to his home to call in an old debt. He wants Wren to guard Corin, the boy they saved years against his brother, who wants his blood to summon the demon Appolyon that killed their parents. In his quest for revenge, Cade has turned to the dark side and if he is successful in calling up the demon, it and his minions will destroy the world.

Dale tells him that Adriel, his apprentice will also be watching over Corin. Cade’s assassins kidnap Kayla in her own home to keep Wren in line but he kills them and is forced to take her on his journey. He and Adriel both search for Corin but by the time he finds him, Cade’s assassins kill his best friend and Corin is making his way to his brother’s home to deal with him. Kayla, Adriel and Wren follow him to head him off before the brothers meet in a confrontation that could mean death.

THE TOWER OF SHADOWS is a good pure fantasy written by a college student whose debut novel is nothing short of magical. His characters are well developed, enabling readers to understand them and the author’s world-building skills are nothing short of phenomenal. The author doesn’t use any magical creatures in the storyline except for a minor dragon battle to invoke the fantasy elements but relies on sword and sorcery to create a magical tale.

Harriet Klausner