The first chapter of The Walls Of Woodmyst by Robert E Kreig is a great example of how to set the scene and atmosphere of a book. You are introduced to the general setting - the village of Woodmyst - and at first, it all looks rather peaceful. You feel quite comfortable as you meet the characters and learn a little about their everyday lives. But then everything changes. A mysterious cloaked figure is waiting outside the walls, and what hides behind the cloak suddenly turns the atmosphere from nice and cosy to disturbing. It shows how life can change from one moment to the next without any warning. And a lot changed for the population of Woodmyst; however, nobody knows why and who is behind the scare tactics that happen at night.

The Walls Of Woodmyst by Robert E Kreig is told in a way that is not quite usual for your average fantasy novel. In this case, you initially feel like someone is telling you about history (in a way) as there is no single main hero or main character that you follow most of the time. After a while, some characters start to stand out and, by the end of the book, you kind of understand why the author chose this way of telling the story. I found the idea of a mysterious enemy interesting, and often felt a bit worried about what was going to happen. There was quite a bit of suspense going on, and this is one of those stories where you wonder whether anything could possibly count as a happy ending.

It definitely was an interesting take on telling a fantasy story and while I would have liked to have seen more developed main characters (but that is just my personal love for character driven stories), I would generally like to read more books in this style.

Inside the walls of Woodmyst, the villagers gathered in the Great Hall to celebrate the beginning of the harvest season. Unknown to them, however, just outside the protective walls that surrounded the village, deadly enemies were lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to launch their well planned attack. Warning signs of impending doom started when the village leadership discovered a gruesomely mutilated body. Gripped with fear and with no knowledge of who the enemy was, the village readied itself for the battle. A dark cloud hung over the whole of Woodmyst as the villagers prepared for the worst. The leaders started to gather clues in a desperate attempt to identify the mysterious enemies, but the more clues they found the more afraid they became. When the attacks started, cunning monsters came at night and vanished without a trace when day broke. With each night bringing fresh waves of terror, will the wisdom of the leaders and the dedication of the brave men of the village be enough to defeat the merciless enemies? And was the chief's decision to put the rest of the villagers in the Great Hall a wise one?

The Walls Of Woodmyst by Robert E Kreig is an exceptionally well crafted story guaranteed to give readers an amazing thrill. Robert E Kreig's excellent writing at times had me reading certain scenes more than once, not because I needed to, but simply because they were that compelling. The story perfectly captures the spirit of the villagers and their solid resolve to be each other's protector no matter what. The way they fought was simply admirable, their determination never wavering even when there seemed to be no hope. The serene camaraderie and genuine love shared by the close-knit community was something to behold and it was utterly heartbreaking when this was interrupted by the enormous tragedy that hit the village. The carefully placed humor blended in perfectly and it helped soften the story a little without making light of the tragic events.