Title: The Blue Orb
Author: Suzy Vivian
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1532026951
Pages: 274
Genre: Fantasy
Reviewed by: Nicole Olson
Hollywood Book Reviews
The Blue Orb by author Suzy Vivian follows the adventure of a young girl who takes it upon herself to deliver a powerful artifact to a wizard named Zarcon. Jasmine uses her femininity and her assassin stealth to obtain the Blue Orb – a powerful legacy left by the wizard Xyrene. Nearing the end of his days Xyrene yearns to cast one last spell to be remembered by. He creates the Blue Orb – which requires so much power it takes his life sooner than expected. Unfortunately, the Orb gets into the wrong hands…hundreds of years later in the land of Uranelle – it reappears while being misused by a group of witches. Zarcon knows it must be nearby but he never expected it to be delivered into his hand.
Vivian’s book is full of enough adventure and action to satisfy fans of fantasy novels. I became enchanted with the character of Jasmine immediately. Vivian develops her into a strong woman, compassionate for the greater good and willing to put up a fight for what she believes. A modern twist on the war between good and evil – Vivian chooses a female protagonist and a group of female antagonists – the witches. As the tale progresses, we see that Jasmine is capable of anything, and she plays a huge role in Zarcon’s mission. The two of them rely heavily on each other throughout the book. Their partnership and the bond formed between them throughout the book is makes for a delightful read.
While they are quite wicked and even grotesque – the dialogue between the witches adds comic relief to Vivian’s action packed fantasy novel. The author includes spirited details of their cackles and their distinct emotions. While Zora leads the witches and desires control of the Blue Orb at all costs, her coven sees the detriments possessing the Blue Orb causes. They can see that using the Blue Orb comes with a heavy price but they must follow their leader. Not only is the book filled with a web of conflicting politics, Vivian includes personalities and facts of a variety of animals – from cats to wolves to horses. The author does a wonderful job using the animals as symbolism for the personalities of the characters attached to them.
While this is Vivian’s first book – the author is very talented, writing clearly and showing a passion for fantasy worlds. The story, characters, and setting have been carefully crafted with passion and creativity. The Blue Orbtakes readers on an adventure to a fantasy land riddled with problems larger than reality. This is a great book for anyone who needs an escape from modern life.