Jeanine Berry Reviews

Page Two

Added September 30, 2008

The Secret Sky: First Book of Dayspring Series

Author: Jeanine Berry
Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing, Inc.
Available At: www.double-dragon-ebooks.com
Publishing Date: February 2004
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Trade Paperback and Ebook download
Price: $16.99 trade paperback, $5.99 ebook
ISBN-10: 1-55404-115-5 trade paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1-55404-115-2 ebook
Author Email/Website: members.aol.com/Meredlune/Jeanineberry.html
Reviewer: Kathy Martin
Rating: 7 Gargoyles

Aren, of the House of Lohenrin, comes from a long line of merchant sailors. It is expected that one day Aren will take over his father's fleet, and sail the seas for the rest of his life. Although Aren works hard and is a fine sailor, there is a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that his calling is not to sail the sea.

After a few years, it is discovered that Aren has "Khi" power - being able to sense the energy of all living things. Not everyone has this power; and those that do, are sent to the Temple of the Sky Gods, near the city of Rutther, to become priests and hone their skills.

Aren turns out to be a great healer. Then the plague comes. When his son becomes ill, nothing the priest does seems to be able to help. In desperation, Aren goes to the room in the temple that holds the Heart Stone of the Sky Gods. It holds all the knowledge of the Gods, but all others who have tried to connect with it have gone mad. This does not deter Aren. But when he does not gain any healing information from the stone, his son dies. Aren denounces the Sky Gods and leaves the temple to return to his family home in Chittan.

Believing that the Sky Gods have turned their backs on his world, Aren rebuilds his family home and opens it as a school. Anyone with the Khi power can come and improve their skills. The only requirement is that once the student becomes a Preceptor, they must go out into the land and use their skills to help the general population.

Helping Aren teach the Masters of the school are the S'Hazons. They are energy beings who evolved from human form. The S'Hazon state that they do not want to become the peoples' "gods." Instead they want to help humankind to evolve into the same sort of energy beings the S'Hazons are themselves.

What Aren does not foresee, is that his actions are going to turn into a religious and political battle that threaten to tear the very soul of his world to shreds.

This is a story of how faith can be lost and then found again. Believing in something is hard when the voice of the higher power does not seem to be heard any longer. Aren found that replacing one belief with another does not answer the questions of faith, it only complicates them.

Overall, I liked the story. I thought it moved with a good pace, with characters that were three dimensional. It is a good choice, that is not long, and can be read through relatively quickly.

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Added January 15, 2004

Dayspring Trilogy Book 3: Dayspring Destiny

Author: Jeanine Berry
Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing
Available At: www.double-dragon-ebooks.com
Publishing Date: April 2004
Genre: Fantasy/Romantic
Format: Ebook download in PDF/HTML/LIT
Price: $5.99
ISBN: 1-55404-123-6
Author Email/Website: members.aol.com/Meredlune/Jeanineberry.html
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty

Their plans revealed to the general public, the S'hazons were leaving Gaea taking with them many of the Perceptors. The S'hazons' abilities allowed them to see a comet, which would strike Gaea in ten years time, destroying all life. Their desire for a physical body prompted them to take with them Perceptors, adepts trained in the use of khi power. They had picked the best of past Perceptors and the High Master of the House of Lohenrin had personally persuaded many to join the S'hazons on their journey to a new world. Elinna Serru, a Perceptor herself and the main reason the S'hazons had been forced to hasten with their plans, had come to the Valley of Caves to watch them depart.

Elinna wholeheartedly believed Gaea's people would find a way to stop the comet and save Gaea. She wouldn't give up on her people, even if many other Perceptors did. Watching the S'hazons leave was painful, but she refused to give into despair. She would find a way to save Gaea and her people would survive.

Five years later, the House was still no closer to stopping the comet. To make matters worse, the Temple of the Sky Gods had revived the old worship and decried the House's efforts. The Temple claimed the Sky Gods would save Gaea if only people would believe in the ancient ways. With a rift growing between the people, a discontented ruler threatening war, and a devastating plague, it became even more urgent for Elinna to learn other ways to handle khi power. Will she ever receive the learning she needs? And what lessons do her Dreams of Knowledge contain, especially the ones involving the Sky Gods?

Is Gaea doomed? Were the S'hazons right or will Elinna and the other Perceptors save their world?

A fantasy to delight even the most hard-core fantasy readers. Having not read the first novel in the Dayspring series, Dayspring Dawning, I was a bit lost when I first began reading. However, Ms. Berry skillfully wove in a enough back story within the first few chapters I was able to not only understand what was going on but the pain and choices the characters had experienced in the previous novel. Elinna is the main character of the story and as such we see events unfold through her eyes, yet we still get to experience the views of others enhancing our perception of this world.

Ms. Berry's world of Gaea is vast and wondrous, with a rich history and even richer characters. I was sad to read the last page and close the book, knowing I had reached the end of Elinna's journey. Elinna's journey and the journey of all the creatures in Gaea will speak to everyone, for in the end their destiny was shaped by the choices they made and the actions they took. A magnificent addition to my keeper shelf, Dayspring Destiny is a must read.

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