Melbourne Author Adam J. Scholte has delivered a fun fantasy series full of action and heart which is easy to read, surprisingly hilarious in parts and populated with many exotic and intriguing personalities. It truly is refreshing prose worth checking out.
'The Beginning of the End', book one of The Ramulas Chronicles introduces Ramulas, a hardworking farmer and loyal family man. He toils to make ends meet for his wife and daughters. As always, though, they have their fair share of hardship with regular visits from the tax collector. A decision to purchase fabric instead of food, for instance, sets in motion a thrilling and most unexpected adventure.
Our man Ramulas quickly finds himself thrust into a magical civil war where wizards are hurling fireballs, rogues are flinging knives and he can communicate with animals. There is talk of dragons and the return of the terrifying, scaly druids. The king's men are out in force and someone is trying to break through from another world. We haven't even scratched the surface of this epic page-turner!
An immediate draw for this novel is how well realised and believable the characters are. Despite the fantasy tropes, these are real people living real lives under the yolk of an oppressive and ever-so-greedy government. But they still have their wits about which keeps the narrative colourful and thoroughly entertaining. And then there are the bad guys!
This is further reinforced by the quality of the dialogue which, again, is relatable and highly engaging. My favourite characters are actually Ramulas' daughters; they're fierce, cheeky and can hold their own in a scuffle. This was pleasing to read because I was concerned that the family setup might've been abandoned in favour of Ramulas' story. Everyone has their part to play
Fortunately, the novel covers multiple points of view and I never felt like any of the subplots were unimportant. In fact, following the 'smaller' stories emphasised the importance of Ramulas' actions and good nature and how that has an impact on the world he is fighting to protect. This became more evident toward the end of the novel as everything came together for a riveting climax and the promise of an epic story to follow.
There are currently three novels in the series with a fourth coming soon.
I recommend reading 'The Beginning of the End', book one of The Ramulas Chronicles.
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