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The Golden Vial by Thomas Locke

When a hidden evil threatens to destroy the realm, a young orphan, untested and untrained, could mean the difference between victory and total defeat.
Vulnerable and weakened by grief after a terrible loss, Hyam has been struck by a mysterious illness that threatens to claim his life. Seeking to help Hyam and restore the realm, Queen Shona travels to Hyam's remote hometown to find answers and offer aid.

Dally has always had abilities far beyond those of a normal human--far-seeing and magic come naturally to her. Before the arrival of Shona and her army, Dally had always kept her abilities secret. But with an ancient evil bearing down on her village and the fate of the realm hanging in the balance, the orphaned servant girl steps forward to do what no one else can. Will the battle claim more than Dally is willing to give?

 I am certain that I read the first book in this series, Emissary. But, I think I missed the second book. However, even with that gap in the series, this book was still fantastic. There was enough information given to help the book stand on its own. Locke does a great job building a world. And I like how this book focused on a new character. I appreciate how the women characters are the focus of the story and fill almost all of the leadership positions. This added depth to the series and gave more directions for following books to go. I also like how Locke has taken some of the standard elements in fantasy novels (dragons, magic, etc.) and taken them in a new and interesting directions. For example, the magic wands need to be "recharged" after being used for a certain amount of time. Those elements felt familiar and fresh at the same time. The end felt a bit rushed, but I really enjoyed my time in this world and with the characters. Highly recommended to those who love a good fantasy novel and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

 Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
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