Audio Book Review: Hapax

Hapax

By:  K.T. Bryski

Publish Date:  October 2012

Format:  Podiobook

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  Stand-alone? Series?

Recommendation:  Yes! Stunning. Loved the blend of magic and religion to create this amazingly crafted world. Worth reading, or listening, too. Wow. Well thought out and crafted to explain all.

Synopsis:
The Apocalypse has come, and in seven days the world will be no more. Only the Hapax, the Word which began the universe, can recreate the world and avert the Apocalypse, but that Word has been lost. Brother Gaelin finds his faith crumbling as he is forced to shelter two fugitives from the Magistatiem, the college of magi which has been divorced from the Ecclesiat monks for centuries. As time slips away, the monks and magi must do more than just heal the ancient rift that divides them—they must trust in the very Being who drove them apart.

First Sentence:
The time, at last, had come.

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*I listened to this story for my own enjoyment.

My Thoughts and Summary:
The sun has vanished from the sky. The Angel does not accept their sacrifice and the fires do not light. The end of days are feared to be near. They have seven days to find the word Ael spoke to create all. The Hapax is hidden somewhere in his creations and is needed to create a new world for the people to live in. The magic school, Magistatiem, and the religions order, at the Ecclesiat, each hold pieces of history. Not knowing they both hold pieces of history and their strong believes against each other could destroy the world and everyone in it.

Aaah, this little fantasy caught me by surprise. And I'm thrilled I listened to it.

First, I like to mention I listened to this story in podcast form. The sound effects and the voices used were amazing. The combination of the two always draw me in emotionally to the story. There are different voice actors used and I enjoyed hearing a different voice to each character. Particularly the twangy sound to the MCB (Magically Created Beings). But, at times, the back sound of rain or crowd of people was a little to loud and made it hard to hear the reading. I found I had to focus very closely to hear all that was being said.

By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked with curiosity. We got a view of the religious side and the magi side. And there are MCB's, (Magically Created Beings). Oh yes. I was curious! By the second chapter, I realized K.T. has created a full fantasy world here. Very thick world of religion and magic build.

The best part about the Ecclesiat religious order and the Magistatiem school of magic, neither are perfect. Both have flaws that are not seen by their followers. Those flaws are very important and the characters that see past that and try to come to a conclusion to save the people of the world are amazing.

The characters are all of different personality. Their strong believes and realizations on those believes make them far more than anything. They all react and differently. There is growth in each with what they see and learn of the world. When their eyes are opened to the real way of things, they have to make choices. I love River, also known as River of Knowledge. Her growth is exponential in the story, and a pivotal one needed with the story line. She doesn't feel forced to me either. She comes around in her own time. Then we have Alesta. The only reason I love her, is because I hate her so. Well done in creating a three dimensional character I can hate.

I love the well crafted world, religions, and story. So related, yet no one knows it. As the story unfolds we see they are both needed, but they are separated by belief. One of the god Ael and his two parts. The other of magic in the world. I felt the creation here was believable in it's setting.

The twist on the gods mesmerized me. It sounded like a circle, but made perfect sense at the same time. I loved the riddle in it. Then, the thought of Beast and Angle and the twist to the extreme and care that is found in them. They are so different from what one would have expected. LOVED this twist. So well played out. Maybe the "evil" isn't as evil as all think. And maybe the "Angel" is extreme.

The story held suspense for me with the crumbling of the world. The things that come upon the world were not kind. I kept wondering: What will come next? What is the Hapax and how will they find it? Will they live or will the End of Days come to pass?

Stunning. Loved the blend of magic and religion to create this amazingly crafted world. Worth reading, or listening, too. Wow. Well thought out and crafted to explain all.