At age eighteen, Opal must undertake a Choosing where she will be paired with a gemstone that will become an influential part of her life from that moment onward. Putting even more pressure on her Choosing, immediately afterwards Opal is to become a leader of her clan, and she knows that she will only keep her reign if she returns from the ceremony with a powerful enough gemstone. Thus, when an opportunity arises for her to choose a fire opal, she gladly accepts that destiny. Only afterwards does she realize that the fire opal comes with an evil side, and that choosing it leads to a degree of distrust from her clan. When Opal joins forces with a sorceress from an enemy clan, she must rally her own people together to fight. The battle that Opal faces, however, isn’t just external, as she also has to fight the evil dragon within.
Despite being only a short novella, Julia Goldhirsh packs nearly an entire book’s worth of plot into the pages of War of the Twin Swords! The action and intrigue surrounding Opal’s life begin right away in the first chapter, and the storyline is one that will hook you early and keep your interest throughout. While the quick pace of the plot has its appeal, it unfortunately leads to a lack of depth for many of the characters, which makes some of their decisions and actions seem unrealistic and capricious. Goldhirsh’s writing style is easy to follow, and she descriptively paints a vivid picture of the imaginative fantasy world in which this account takes place.
If you enjoy a fast-paced storyline with strong female leads, then this is a book written just for you. War of the Twin Swords is a quick fantasy read that sets a solid foundation for the Gemstone Massacre series.
