Eternity’s Mirror By Zachary Hagen
‘Are we all dreaming together?…dreaming the same thing right now?’ – rich fantasy
North Carolina author Zachary Hagen entered the literary scene with ETERNITY’S WELL, the first volume of his epic fantasy series, ETERNAL CHRONICLES. Now he adds ETERNITY’S MIRROR that continues his favored story. His writing is solid with prose that illuminates his new world with ease and eloquence.
One of the several reasons books of this genre are growing even more popular is their ability to transport us from where we find ourselves confined into a new vista, one with endless possibilities for enchantment. Zachary provides maps of his locales to establish credibility and his ability to create atmosphere is even more polished, as the opening chapter suggests: ‘The taste was unlike any other water any of them had ever tasted. Later, they might have described it as sweet, crisp, and even a little…electric. The water rushed down their throat with such ease that they hardly believed it was so difficult to obtain. Had they really had to watch Taariq murder Michael in front of them just to taste this water?’
Yes, to fully appreciate the beauty of this novel, it is recommended to read the initial volume first. Yet the beauty of the language and imagination are solidly placed in the
storyline, which is condensed as follows: ‘The Circle is uniting the countries of Lux Terra. Elior, Nyx, and Opal are finding that some things have changed as the result of their adventures with Michael. Yrahkaz has been tasked with squashing the growing obsession with Michael. When an important clue to finding Eliam and fixing Nyx’s and Opal’s problems is given to them, they recruit the help of a disgraced magi-technician to get to him, but their initial success is more then they bargained for. The other side of the Mirror of Eternity is filled with wonders and dangers they never imagined. Will they still be able to prevail against an evil that is bent on devouring them whole, or will they fall prey to its cunning pursuit?’
The author’s ability to coax the reader into a strange world by providing some grounding passages to which relating is eased is a signal that this young writer has the ability to succeed with his series. The apparent audience is the teen and YA group, though the ideas supported by this novel should appeal to a wider group. Zachary Hagen is establishing a solid seat in the fantasy genre.
Grady Harp Review
