Customer Reviews

Visions of Power

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"A fascinating story of fiction and fantasy that continues to build momentum with each page taking unexpected plot twists and turns. One part believable love story, one part magical fantasy, one part electrifying adventure and, as a whole, moralistic, but not deafening, in its overall tone.

A young orphan boy, Alex, starts out as a stable hand in a circus caravan in the sophisticated yet ancient mythological Dominion lands and ends up as a powerful healer and possessor of great powers. The reader never knows where the story is going next, but is not dissatisfied with where he finds himself.

The authors knits together many different characters, themes and subplots into a wonderful story. It was a great break from my normal reading list and left me wanting to know what happens next. Book Two?"

Once I started I couldn't put this book down. Wonderful characters, exciting story and interesting plot made it a great read. It is a story for all ages - after I finished, my 17 year old son read the book and can't wait for the second one (the excerpt at the end of the book said it will be out this fall). If you like fantasy/adventure novels you will like this one - a lot happens in one book.

Young boy discovers he has magical powers and while using them for good, makes influential friends who help guide him through the intrigue of his world. He learns to fight using his magical powers and becomes a great swordsman.

I highly recommend this book.

A great read with a plot that moves with astonishing vigor. For a fantasy novel, the format is classic coming-of-age and good vs. evil, yet Quyle introduces an unusually authoritative undertone of spiritual importance. The welfare of his characters matter to the reader; there is no more enticing way to encourage the turn of a page.

Warning: this is just Part One of the story; it will leave you wanting more in the same way that the rapid plot development will leave you slightly breathless. This is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking book.

While the book has a number of mature themes appropriate for older readers it is highly suitable for young adults as well. I would also recommend it as the perfect vehicle for a book club or other discussion group.

This is one of the best books I've read in a while, unknown author or not. The story is good, typical coming-of-age fantasy (dosed liberally with strong themes of Christianity) but amazingly captivating. I can't remember the last time I read a book without starting to skim sections I found boring. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

This book grabbed me from the first chapter, and has already kept me reading through two sequels! This is the story of Alec, a sweet, ordinary boy who finds himself struggling to stay alive, then finds that he has received special abilities to heal other people. He uses his magical powers to heal a girl ,and then the ruler of his nation, and ends up becoming a part of the nobility that governs the land of Goldenfields. I felt a kinship to Alec, as he tried to deal with his circumstances, and I expect to keep reading about him!

I really enjoyed this series up until book 6 (Saving the Ingenairii).
This particular book was quite good.
World setting and political posturing is well detailed and orchestrated.
Religious themes are in place and serve to move the plot but don't disproportionately dominate the story.
In book 6, this series takes a turn for the worse... to the point that I've stopped reading it mid-book.
I will probably post a review of that book with spoiler alerts in it.

"Visions of Power" was a very enjoyable book to read. It has a sound premise for a fantasy adventure novel, and clearly is the beginning of a series. The book is well written, and has believable characters. I thought the plot was an interesting change-up from the usual fantasy fare in the sense that the great magical power the hero, Alec, acquires is healing/medical miracle powers. I also sense that the book is going to have some romance, based on a couple of character relationships that are set up, but it isn't clear who Alec is going to develop his relationship with. I have the sequel already and am enjoying reading it as well as this book.

I enjoyed this book as a great example of the fantasy adventure/quest novel. This is the genre I usually read for fun, escapist reading, and this book seemed to capture all the right parts of the genre to make it a pleasure to sit down and read. The author uses dialogue to move the book along in many places instead of relying on narration. I hadn't ever found a book that uses medicine and healing as a "special power" to make the hero someone who is out of the ordinary, so this author gets credit for finding something new to use. The boy, Alec, who is the hero of the book, seems like a very likable character, and Natalie, the girl he is trying to find and rescue, comes across as believable and fun.

The plot manages to have scenes that are located in both wilderness areas where there is loneliness and isolation, but then also moves into a large city, Goldenfields, where Alec is sucked into the court of a nobleman, and urban scenes with crowds and bustling activity also occur.

There are battle scenes, scenes of magical energy, and mostly clear lines drawn between good guys and bad guys.

The book reminded me somewhat of work by David Eddings or Anne McCaffrey, to give a sense of some peers. If you like those books, you'll probably enjoy this.

The book was not a short novel. I felt I got my money's worth in the amount of story that was told, and I look forward to reading the next volume that is apparently due out soon.

After having finished the eighth book in the series and possibly the last.. I decided I should write a review to help spread the word on this series.

If you are looking for a series that you feel emotionally attached to and want to find that you are unable to stop reading until you have read all there is to read in the series, then this is the series for you. I have only cried one other time while reading a book and that was by Robin Hobb and that is saying something because I have read many books. At one point I had to set the book down and just cry for a few minutes until I could get myself under control again.

This series full of action, romance, mystery, and magic. Not to mention a large amount of religion, but it's not in your face and preaching to you kind of thing, it's not even something that most of Alec's friends believe in. If you enjoy a good series that fills you in on all of the things you need to know to get a good picture of what is going on without giving away the mystery while not going into so many minute details that you feel like the author is just filling up space, then I recommend this series to you!

This is the first book by Mr. Quyle that I've read and it was quite enjoyable and great fun. Although it is not my normal reading fare, I found myself caught up in the adventures of Alec and his friends and curious about the events about to unfold. With a love of reading, and limited time to engage in it, a book has to hold my attention - and this one did. In true serial fashion Mr. Quyle leaves us hanging a bit at the end of this first book; eager to read the next one!