The Eye of Tanub by M.E. Cunningham (Into Terratir Saga, Book One.)

Author: M.E. Cunningham
Series: The Into Terratir Series, Book 1
Genres: Action & Adventure / General, Action & Adventure / Survival Stories, Fairy Tales & Folklore / General, Fantasy & Magic, Legends, Myths, Fables / General, Paranormal, Young Adult Fiction
Tags: action, adventure, books for boys, Can be read as stand alone, curses, danger, Demons, elves, Fantasy, First book in a series, Free Book, Friendship, Legends, love, Magic, medieval, Myths, romance, Survival story, teen fiction, war, witch, young adult, young adult fantasy
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication Year: 2014
ASIN: B00KY8S39S
ISBN: 1940534763

Thrust into the perilous and magical land of Terratir, Lauren Marriott and her brother, Zach, must harness the power of ancient relics to defeat the maniacal Warlord and find their way home. But in the end, does she have the strength to leave such a thrilling place and the man who stole her heart?

About the Book

Everyone thinks she’s crazy. And maybe she is. But Lauren Marriott knows her journey into Terratir happened. It was real, and she’s writing it all down in frightening detail.

She has no patience for her brother Zach and his passion for stupid computer games until she finds a mysterious pendant in his room, pulsating with magical power. Lauren wants it, not realizing it’s a portal between this world and one of monsters, sorcerers, and dangerous quests.

Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined what she’d find in the terrifying world of The Warlord—death at every turn, but also a love stronger than time itself.

In order to escape Terratir, Lauren, Zach, and their newfound friends, must complete the impossible quest for the Eye of Tanúb, a relic of immense power, which The Warlord has already stolen for himself.

Reviewed by Cynthia Shepp

Violence

This is a work of fantasy fiction. As such, there are repeated battle scenes in which characters wield deadly weapons and lives are taken. The violence isn't excessive for the type of fantasy fiction this is, and the scenes aren't overly gory, but readers should take this into consideration. There is mention of battle wounds, bleeding, and scars. But again, nothing excessive or gratuitous for its own sake.

Language

The two main characters are a brother and a sister, and there is a normal amount of sibling name-calling (commonly used words like brat), including the use of the word crap five times, but nothing directly or overly abusive or vulgar.

Romance/Sensuality

One of the main characters, Lauren, has a massive crush on one of the fantasy-world warriors she meets in the story. Their lips lightly touch once or twice, and he does propose marriage to her, but there is no mention or hint of sexual relations. This novel does explore the feelings of love and romance that Lauren, a normal teen, feels for her beloved, but not in any lurid fashion.

Drugs/Alcohol/Smoking

The two main characters meet a bartender in this fantasy world, and Lauren mentions she almost expected to see cowboy-like characters in there, drinking beer, but this is not the case. Lauren only mentions beer this once. However, being a fantasy tale, there are quite a lot of characters taking potions to help them in battle, heal their wounds, to fend off evil, etc., but these potions are not described as narcotics or any form of drug with which modern American readers would be familiar. Standard stuff for a fantasy tale.

Supernatural Characters: Too many to count. The main characters must traverse a fantasy realm populated by priestesses, minotaurs, elves, and all manner of fantasy/spiritual/supernatural characters in the book. And although the words demon and witch are mentioned just a couple of times, there are no such characters in the book, per se.

Notes: For a young adult reader, parents would be hard pressed to find a better, stronger fantasy tale than this one. It is impeccably written, and most of the characters exhibit high-level personal morals and deep levels of integrity (except for most of the villains – standard stuff). A fine read all around.

About the Author

M.E. Cunningham

Melissa Cunningham (also known as M.E. Cunningham) was born in Oregon but grew up in Utah, where she was raised on a steady diet of fine literature from Charlotte's web to the The Trumpeter Swan, and then plenty of romances in her teen years. She now lives with her husband on a little farm in northern Utah where all she can see out of her back door is miles of pasture and stunning sunsets. Not only does she raise horses, dogs, cats, and chickens, but her five kids also. When Melissa is not writing you can find her spending time in the outdoors with her family or dancing wildly to rock music in her living room. She loves running, camping, and all things fiction--scary, mind-numbing stories preferred.

- See more at: http://www.melissajcunningham.com

Other Books in "The Into Terratir Series"

The Celestine Sword

Look Inside

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."