Review of Antiphon by Ken Scholes

Antiphon
Ken Scholes
Tor Publishing
377 pages

Antiphon is the 3rd of 5 in the Psalms of Isaak series.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Mr. Schole’s brilliant imagination where in a world far- far away where the mode of transportation is still horseback he gives us unimaginable wonders like thinking talking metal men one of which is called Isaak and these are his Psalms.

In this volume “war is coming” as we were warned in the previous novel, but there’s more going on than meets the glowing eyes of the Mechoservitors . There’s unrest in the Ninefold Forest as well as all the other nations in the Named Lands. The problem is who is driving it? Is it Ria, the new queen of the Machtvolk who disposed her little sister? Is it the strange metal man known as the watcher? Or is it something more dire and more sinister. Well my friends you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out if the Andofrancine Order will survive, if the Younger Gods or the Wizard Kings have any part in this and what does the house Li Tam have to do with it all.

Ken Scholes is a master storyteller who’s imaginative mind brings us this make-believe world with some of the most unforgettable characters ever to grace a page of a book. His Named Lands and Nine Fold Forest come alive with his descriptive dialogue along with those characters mentioned before. Underlying plots are all going on at once and Mr. Scholes brings them all together brilliantly as he weaves his own “Whymer Maze” for his audience’s entertainment. He has many protagonists in his series so it’s hard to bring one to the forefront without ignoring someone else, so I’ll just say that they’re all amazing in their development and their portrayal. They are all an important instrument in bringing his story to life, and life is what this tale is all about, life and the pursuit of “the light”. And hidden beneath all the strife and hardships are classic love stories, stories about alliances that turn to love about two opposites who attract about love of family and love of friends, about sacrifices made for the love of a child, and about the love of one’s people and the need to go forward into the unknown for a better way of life. You readers will not want to stop turning pages in this epic adventure series any more than you’d want to stop breathing.

This series will appeal to a multitude of audiences, don’t be afraid to give it a try just because it bears the label Science Fiction. Inside lovers of mysteries will find a great one, thriller lovers will find none more chilling, lovers of adventure will find it hard to catch their breath, lovers of romance will get their love story and lovers of make believe will get it all. So bring out your inner child and use your imagination and enter the magnificent mind of Mr. Ken Scholes. This novel is a great story on it’s own, but if you neglect the first two you will loose valuable information given there.