Customer Reviews

Cleansing Hunt, Book Two of The Earthsoul Prophecies series

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Written by English, Japanese, and creative writing teacher Greg Park, Cleansing Hunt: Book Two of The Earthsoul Prophecies is a fantastic novel about a dying world with more than six thousand years of epic history. The refleshed dreadlord Throy Shadan and his fell army are poised to sack and ruin the nation of Kelsa, and the allied nations of the Nine Lands must brace themselves for a renewed, costly war. Amid the gathering storm, Jase Fairimor and his friends learn of the lost Temple of Elderon with a Blood Orb of Elsa - a talisman potent enough to heal the wounds of a dying planet. The wicked Shadan lusts after the talisman for his own purposes, but neither is Jase completely immune to the siren call of power. Jase's earlier misuses of Power have left a dark mark on him, and now, even as he seeks the talisman, he may yet be Earthsoul's greatest threat rather than its greatest hope. A wonderfully crafted, immersive epic fantasy. Also highly recommended is the first novel in The Earthsoul Prophecy series, Veil of Darkness.

All the nit-picks I had against the first book were addressed in this sequel. Most of this book focuses on the unique setting and types of government that set it apart from others. The main characters are desperately trying to root out the agents of Maeon that have integrated themselves into society and are planning to subvert the fight against evil. You get to watch how this struggle is carried out in two different countries see how the varying governments of those countries effect the outcomes of the struggles. I found myself anxiously reading through the intricate maneuverings of the two sides as they sought to destroy each other without exposing themselves to a counter-attack. This game of cat and mouse (maybe "hunter vs panther" would be a better comparison) got me emotionally involved and hating the villains more than I did in the first book.

With the strong political backdrop of this book, less time was spent on battles and action sequences. Although I found myself wanting more action to break up the political machinations, I felt that the battles that did transpire were grander with higher risks. These encounters eventually culminate into a grand fight at the end that left me yearning for the next book. All-in-all, the first book was a good start to a good series and this one took it up one notch.

Love the world Greg Park has created here. Lands rich with diverse peoples and culture, history and spirituality. You'll love the heroes, and you'll love the enemies just as much. Monsters terrifying, fighting exciting, magic, blademasters, so much more... Cleansing Hunt is every bit as exciting and interesting as Book 1, probably more so. If you love Lord of the Rings and Eragon, you'll love The Earthsoul Prophecies. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this excellent page-turner. Eagerly awaiting book three!!!