![Idi & The Oracle's Quest: Born to Be Fantasy series book 1 by [Traynor, T]](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ni42QEStL._SY346_.jpg)
In book one of the Born to Be Fantasy Series (entitled Idi & The Oracle's Quest), by T. Traynor, the world of Talia is soon to be at war, with its rival kingdoms preparing to attack the land of Havenshire. A headstrong princess must flee her home or risk being killed, while a tormented young boy must train to become a magician, leaving all he knows behind, so that he might one day be able to aid his kingdom.
When an evil wizard intrudes on a lover's meeting, Princess Cassandra is forcibly banished from her father's kingdom, and finds herself preparing for the birth of a prophesized babe. Cassandra meets new allies, who help her to go into hiding for many years while else-where, a boy named Idi (often picked on by his peers) is taken in by a grand magician, Marcus, and taught to draw on his inner gift of magic.
For years, the evil wizard searches for princess Cassandra, while Marcus trains Idi up to be an exceptional header and magician.
On more than one occasion, we see Idi's magic save the lives of innocents, giving us a glimpse into his selfless and compassionate nature. This giving nature is tested when Idi and Marcus come across a young babe, and Idi being the compassionate boy he is, takes the child in (when he is but a child himself) and raised her as his own.
I came to adore this book for its brave and loveable characters, and its uniquely crafted world. Traynor paints a vivid picture of the fairytale world of Talia and, in my opinion, has a genuine talent for worldbuilding. I found the politics of this world to be interesting, often creating high-tension scenes that lead to conflicts between good and evil. I turned the pages, unable to stop reading, for its characters genuinely felt like people I had gotten to know personally.
The book raises various issues, such as:
~ The existence of a traitor in King Hamish's own castle (Havenshire.)
~ A clan of elemental witches, hell-bent on destruction.
~ The killing of innocent people, in the name of evil (black magic.)
All of these issues show an unfair world, where much evil exists. I began to think about the history of our own world and the countless battles the human race has raced, of which (sadly) I'm sure there will be more to come. There is an almost dictatorship like feel as the evil wizard begins to take over the running of the kingdom of Havenshire. I find this situation somewhat comparable to one in real life~ the issue of President Donald Trump, who appears to me as an evil man, only seeming to care about profiting from his country, and not for its actual citizens.
I found it enlightening that throughout all of the darkness in this novel, true belief was the key to Idi finding his magic ability when he and Marcus stumble across an injured baby girl. The depth of love Idi has for this child never ceased to amaze me. With her love, Idi is shown to be capable of anything, defying any and all odds against him.
End Quote: 'It can only mean one thing: the war has begun.'
Book one ends on a cliffhanger, which I think only adds to the charm of this clever tale, for its last sentence sparks the start of the next book.
Idi & The Oracle's Quest is a wonderfully written tale of Fantasy, which I would wholeheartedly recommend to lovers of Fantasy worldwide.
My Rating? Five Stars.
About the Author
Tracy is dyslexic and has struggled with feelings of being stupid for a large part of her life. Her first job was washing up dishes as she felt this was all she was capable of doing. At the age of 40, she became a single mom and with four sons to look after she decided to go back to college. She is now a successful Finance Manager and has turned her life around. Under all the magical characters in her story is the underlying message to believe in yourself and overcome the past. Her biggest dream is that people who struggle to read, like herself, will be able to pick up this easy-to-read book and forget about their problems for a while as they escape in this world she has created. But also that the reader, if they have low self-esteem, would be encouraged to believe in themselves.
