There is a battle happening on the high seas. In the blink of an eye, four men, once at war, suddenly find themselves dazed in a small boat heading toward a lighthouse. Confusion reigns and the keeper of the lighthouse, Virginia, has few answers for the sailors. When Virginia presents a map of the area, the men realize they are in uncharted territory, so to speak. They’ve found themselves in the Fourth World, a land of neither the living nor the dead. The only way home and back to life is to complete an undoubtedly unsavory mission.
The Fourth World is filled with surprises. The majestic cover might make you think Historical Fiction, but this piece is pure fantasy! The pages thrum with creativity, as seen in the variety of charismatic beings. While many of the humans come across as one dimensional, all the unusual creatures in the novel bring the story to life. There are cunning wizards and flying beings, ferocious animals that take on human-like forms and unscrupulous rulers conscripting humans into a sort of servitude. The whole realm is dark and foreboding. One character solemnly noted, “You don’t always need handcuffs to be a prisoner.”
Marina Sandoval is an inventive storyteller with a vast imagination. The Fourth World is a perfect beginning to an epic fantasy series!
