Saga of Lyn: The Reawakening is an epic fantasy novel by Aric Carter. The central character is tavern owner Tegain Hostler, who begins his story with the devastating loss of not only his business, but his beloved wife and child. Taking the advice of trader and former soldier Karl Dunmire, Tegain sets out on a quest to bring the murderer of his family to justice, which swiftly spirals into a plot that may well threaten the whole civilisation of Tulane. Magical weaponry and mythical creatures join the duo on their journey, coupled with a powerful tale of love and loss and plenty of up-close action in a vivid fantasy world.

Aric Carter has created a masterful world which is fully realised, and fantasy fans will enjoy being immersed in deliciously rich descriptions, well thought out politics, and the truly human and relatable pain that our hero Tegain goes through. Saga of Lyn: The Reawakening has everything you could desire: a fully fleshed out fantasy tale, from lavish locations to excellent and useful magic, with enigmatically described beasties and realistic characters to populate the world. The complex plot takes several interesting twists along the way as our hero and his sidekick learn new skills and gather intriguing allies, and every step is masterfully narrated with Carter’s beautiful prose; not a word out of place. Overall, I’d say that Saga of Lyn: The Reawakening is a highly accomplished and professional fantasy novel, worthy of a place on the shelves of any Tolkien, Barker or Pratchett fan.

Saga of Lyn is good, action packed epic adventure at its best. The saga is full of surprises and I'm sure there will be more. Aric Carter is very good at adding little twists and features that give Saga of Lyn a unique take and feel in a genre where many great writers have raised the literary bar. One difference is that there are two very different protagonists, each worthy of a book of his own. I liked and empathized with the innkeeper Tegain and his tragic story, but I loved his friend Karl and his no-nonsense approach to life and war. Karl is my kind of soldier and I think any military veteran will recognize his Sergeant Major personality. One reason Saga of Lynn moves so swiftly is that Aric Carter alternates the pace by separating the heroes and moving their struggles along with their own chapters. There are plenty of bad men and horrible monsters in this fictional world for both protagonists and the action never stops.

The single most interesting difference in Saga of Lynn is its sword. Not since Michael Moorcock's Elric, the doomed albino prince, picked up Storm Bringer has there been such an interesting weapon. I won't go into details because surprise is a critical aspect of enjoying Saga of Lyn. Just let me say that the heroes and the sword make for a delightful, well written and fresh new voice in the epic fantasy genre.

When a mysterious visitor destroys Tegain Hostler’s tavern, killing his beloved wife Shae and daughter Gwyn, Tegain is devastated. His friend, the trader and former marshal Karl Dunmire, advises him to travel to the next-largest town to seek legal assistance in tracking down and bringing the murderer to justice. Karl agrees to accompany Tegain and sells him a rusty old sword. Tegain discovers how special the sword is when it kills a creature called Grimble with a single blow, and he needs to learn about the sword to unleash its real power.

Saga of Lyn: The Reawakening by Aric Carter is an intriguing fantasy with excellent world building and well fleshed out characters. Tegain’s quest to avenge his family is much more complicated than he expected, as the entire civilization is in peril. I’m sold on Carter’s handling of the story – there are plenty of tantalizing twists. The strong prose also gives the story an added dimension. It’s easy to connect and root for Tegain and Lyn. On the other hand, the character Karl took a little longer to grow on me; it took me a while to familiarize myself with his way of speaking. Carter keeps the action and the story flowing smoothly, making effective use of the fast-paced plot. I also love the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.

The Reawakening is an excellent debut for the series. It has originality that brings a fresh perspective to the genre and would definitely satisfy readers. This is a solid work from Carter and I look forward to the next book.