Review (+$50 Giveaway!) Lords of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman

Title: Lords of Prophecy
Author: Michael A. Rothman
Series: The Prophecies #3
Pages: 460
Publisher: M&S Publishing
Date Published: March 1, 2013
Format: Paperback
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Provided by Author for Tour Purposes

Synopsis:
The time of the final battle approaches as the barrier that’s kept the demons at bay for centuries crumbles. The prophecies have promised the emergence of two brothers, lords of the prophecies who are destined to lead Trimoria’s forces against those of the demon lord Sammael. Yet, the challenges that the Riverton brothers face are none that anyone could have anticipated. Assassins seek the end of the king’s reign, debilitating madness overwhelms many of the wizards, and the sudden appearance of an emissary from a long-lost civilization brings with it unexpected consequences. The Riverton brothers must overcome the challenges arrayed before them, for the demon lord’s minions are amassing at the border. The future of Trimoria hangs in the balance.

My Review:
I wish I would have known this was a series before I read this book! Not that this wasn't an excellent story, but I felt like I had missed something in a lot of the scenes. That being said, I think this could be read on it's own (after all, I did...) but I bet it would be way more enjoyable if you had followed the characters from their humble beginnings and watched them grow into the men and women and demons...that they are today.

Aaron and Ryan are brothers that are preparing for a huge battle with the demons. Unfortunately things aren't going as planned and a lot of drama ensues as they are attempting to get everything set up. There was a lot of spikes of action involving the brothers throughout the book, and we also got to really get a feel for the setting as the plot journeys around the land of Trimoria. I found myself turning the pages faster and faster as the action commenced and even though I haven't grown quite as attached to the characters as someone who has followed them from the beginning, I found myself biting my nails during the intense battle scenes because I was so scared about who would make it through to the end.

I loved that so much of this book was unexpected. I would be reading along, expecting one thing to happen because it seemed like the clues were leading that way, when BAM! Something completely unexpected fell out of nowhere and shook me from my stupor. I like books that keep me guessing and this book had lots of that. I will definitely be going back and checking out the first two books in the series so my reading experience will be complete...even though I kind of already know the ending now.

Meet the Author: 

I've been writing throughout my career as an engineer, however my writing had been relegated to technical books and technical magazine articles. Heck, you might even find a couple of those musty tomes still for sale if you look hard enough. With my foray into epic fantasy, I've shed the shackles of technical writing and created novels that I hope will be attractive to a much wider audience. I've always admired truly epic tales. You know the ones I mean. The book you crack open, wander through and utterly get immersed in. The story takes you on twists and turns you never expected, run into dead-ends that make you wheel your arms backward to prevent you from falling into an endless abyss. By the time you reach what you think is the end, you've read hundreds of pages and realize the end is really only the beginning of the story. You close the book and wonder out loud. "Do I have the next book? Is it out yet?"
As to my other writing activities, I've completed another as of yet unreleased novel in the Prophecies series, and they are scheduled to be released as soon as - well, as soon as the paperwork on them is complete, and the lawyers nod their heads up and down.
I hope you enjoy the novel.

Michael will be giving away a $50 Amazon giftcard to one lucky follower of this tour! All you need to do to win is comment below with a thought, chat about the novel, or ask Michael a question and you are entered to win! Make sure to include your email address so he will know who to contact! The more tour stops you comment on the better your chances at winning! Thanks for stopping by today!