The Lost Sentinel had me engaged from start to finish and wanting more. It has three main story lines each having its own special characters but it was easy to follow. As the book progresses you can see a slight link between the story lines. I thought her first book Visions of Zarua was excellent but I enjoyed this one even more. I am waiting in anticipation for the second book of the trilogy.

Having read Suzannes first novel 'Visions of Zarua' I highly anticipated reading more of her work. 'The Lost Sentinel' was a gripping start to a trilogy, with many interesting and likable characters. The various plot lines are easy to follow and merge well together to create and intrguing and unputdownable story. I eagerly await the second enstalment.

I stopped in the middle of reading another fantasy book by a well established author to read this book when I discovered it was available. I was very pleased I had, this was much more gripping. I really enjoyed the story and became very attached to the main characters. Looking forward to part 2.

This is the second book of Suzanne Rogerson’s that I have read so I felt that I had some sort of idea of her writing style but wow has she raised the bar. What makes it even more exciting is that this is the first book in a trilogy so I know it is going to be one hell of an epic journey for both the characters and readers alike.
I soon developed character envy after reading the opening chapter, Tei  even as a child, had the gift of leaving her body and wondering as a spirit on the astral plane, pretty cool, but there are some rather dark forces there that need to be avoided. She is warned to keep her abilities secret or else she will put herself in grave danger.
Nine years later a knock on the door results in Tei and her father leaving their home to find safety in the Turrak mountains as the hunt to rid Kalaya of anyone with special abilities is enforced by the Assembly.  Kalaya’s economy, crops and good fortune are failing because the Sentinel that radiates magic into the Island is slowly dying. The failures have then been blamed directly onto anyone with any sort of magical power which in turn has caused quite a ‘witch hunt’ for the sake of a better couple of words. Tei and her father flee only to be pursued.  As more of the Islands population decreases it become imperative that a new Sentinel is found but the problem is no one knows who it could be.
When tragedy strikes Tei and her father she has to put her trust with two strangers that become her protectors. They know that Tei is to play an important part if the Island is to be saved. Now I don’t think anyone will read this book without really loving Garrick. He  is a top notch bloke in every way possible, a little swoon here I think. The story takes a turn as Tei is not only hunted she is also now the hunter to find the next Sentinel. This journey becomes an absolutely top class quest to find the one person that could possibly be the special one.  It isn’t like just anyone can take on the role.
Oh my Suzanne Rogerson can certainly make you forget time. I was just totally absorbed in this journey. A journey of hope not just for the people but for the essence of the whole island if it is to thrive again. Do be warned though this author is not only relentless she is ruthless. So much that she can bring you to tears. There are countless characters on this journey but it is like you only take what you need from each section. A super start to what is going to be a sensational story, just make sure you are part of it from the beginning

Wow, after reading this book I am emotionally drained…but in a good way. ‘The Lost Sentinel’ is the first book in the ‘Silent Sea Chronicles’ fantasy series and is an amazing read!

The book starts by introducing us to a young Tei who has the ability to walk the Astral Plane but has a terrifying experience while there. Nine years later and Tei’s life is shattered when she and her father have to flee their home in order to be safe. At first the story was easy to get into. The action surrounding Tei running away and what happens when meeting with Rike and Garrick was exciting to read and I really got into this book right away but as the tale progresses we are introduced to more characters and more viewpoints and the story becomes more complex and interesting.

The book is written in the third person but jumps about between several different characters throughout the story. Although this was hard to grasp at first, it felt like a movie. Everyone’s tales are different with most stories happening on the island of Kalaya, but not all. Each story seems unconnected to anyone else’s at first, but as the plot progresses the connections are revealed and each story is an exciting one on its own.

The plot is really dark. There’s an undertone of darkness and fear already, with what Tei experienced as a child and the overall fear of being caught, but the whole book really has a dark edge with a lot of death including some key characters which leaves you shocked and upset and maybe even crying…I actually had to take a breather when reading these moments as it was so unexpected. But these deaths soon make sense to the plot and I am amazed at how unpredictable and good this book is to read.

Being a darker fantasy read there’s some violence and deaths but very little swearing with a rare few uses of the b words and only one use of the s swear word. There’s nothing else offensive in this book. Although the story has a really dark undertone with shocking moments, I really enjoyed it. I love a dark plot and this book really doesn’t disappoint with shocks and surprises throughout. I do have one criticism though and it’s a shame as it’s the only reason I give this four rather than five stars. As I’ve said the book changes viewpoint often which makes it more exciting and really pushes the overall plot forward, however this viewpoint switching happened too often in the beginning. While Tei’s storyline was easy to follow and grasp in my mind, as the first chapters were only about her (meaning I got to know her well and the characters she meets), I struggled to remember the other characters and their storylines. I did have to put down the book for a day as life got in the way, which didn’t help, but getting back into everyone’s stories except Tei’s was hard as I forgot who was who at first. It wasn’t until I was about a quarter of the way into the book before I really started to enjoy it and solidified all the characters and their individual stories into my mind.

Overall this is an amazing and gripping fantasy read. It’s a long book but filled with a lot of great action and a perfect fantasy setting ( there are no fantasy type creatures just humans). The world of Kalaya is rich and dark and I’m amazed at how sucked into the action I was reading this, and how unpredictable and dark the storyline is. The ending is a satisfying one but the story is far from over, it’s only beginning and sets up questions for the next book in the series and I can’t wait to read it!
-Thanks to the author for a free copy.