Title: Object of Balance
Author: Lesley Fisher
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ISBN: 978-1638713678
Pages: 546
Genre: Fantasy
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza
Hollywood Book Reviews
One of the things we must learn throughout our childhoods is how to not let people tell us who we are and what we are capable of. The world is always going to have people who try to tell others or encourage others not to reach their full potential, both intentionally and unintentionally. For some, this comes when we, as children, are made fun of or teased for the interests we have, forcing us to seek ways of hiding or blending in. For others, this comes as adults when media or political figures make it appear as if the only means of success or winning comes from particular avenues. However only the individual can define success for themselves, and in that success comes our full potential.
In author Lesley Fisher’s Object of Balance, the author explores this concept through a rich and imaginative fantasy tale. When an object used by the wizards of Andel to safeguard the world from great evil is stolen, nine fairies are tasked with bringing the object back in order to save the world. The fairies fear this task, for the object is far bigger than the nine of them combined. However, with the wizards using their magic to hold the evil at bay, they have no choice but to embark on this adventure and find a way of restoring this object, facing dragons, ogres, witches, trolls, and befriending a host of creatures to find this fabled object.
The author did a beautiful job of capturing the magic and awe-inspiring world of Andel. The imagery in the author’s writing was both descriptive and captivating, making each of these realms on Andel feel vibrant and alive. The world-building was phenomenal, with each of these realms getting its own set of creatures and mythos. The iconic “hero’s journey” storytelling element of the narrative was alive and engaging to see these characters find their camaraderie and evolve along the way. The vast number of characters the author was able to bring to life in this book made the world feel so much grander and more immense, and the larger, more grand-scale mythos behind the creation of the universe as a whole and how this conflict begins made this such an enthralling journey for readers to go on.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy fantasy novels, especially those which are written for fantasy readers of all ages. That was one of the things which really stuck out, as the story never faltered towards one age group of fantasy reader or another, but kept a vast and open world available to all fantasy readers. The depth of character growth, balanced out with the mythos the author developed to create a new series which both entertains and inspires younger readers, while also drawing in older fantasy fans to engage with the magic and action that these fairies engage in along their journey, is commendable.
Enthralling, masterfully-written, and gripping, author Lesley Fisher’s Object of Balance is a breathtaking and captivating fantasy novel. The twists and turns in the narrative and the rich dynamics between the cast of characters, from the two wizards charged with protecting these objects to the dragons and the one who jumpstarted the chaos and the fairies who must find the hero within themselves to overcome the odds, make this a thrilling fantasy novel which will keep readers wanting more.