An archeology student makes a mystical voyage to save his girl from the Voidshapers — or so he believes. For hundreds of years, the druids of Eresa have been training in secret. The seven clans are battle-hungry. But nothing could have prepared them for what is coming. Aaron Bishop, an archaeology student from Oxford, is on a holiday trip with his girlfriend Denise, when they are suddenly transported to a mystical realm. Gifted and cursed at the same time, Aaron has an ancient magic growing inside him. A Voidshaper, a merciless entity born of negativity, assaults Denise and turns her into one of them. Aaron’s world shatters. Burdened by his lover’s fate, Aaron seeks counsel from the great Ouranis, a Phoenix of untold power, who claims she can give Denise her body back, but only in exchange for Aaron’s help against the Voidshapers — a journey that will change his life forever. An unusual blend of time-travel, mythology and magic, this first-time writer has a good grasp of imagery and a clear and distinct mythology. Light in tone, yet with some scares thrown in and a pretty unique villain, this is a fairly sound first work. The author has an unusual imagination and managed to create a unique environment within a very crowed genre. If it has a downside, it's that there are a lot of minor sub-plots, and sometimes they don't always cohere. “Despite this minor niggle, this is a promising start from an author with potential. I'm looking forward to see if he'll expand this world with his next work, or perhaps go for something different entirely!” Ramoun (Oxford, UK)

Seven of Druids