Amazon Category:  Fantasy Publisher: publishamerica ISBN-10:  1413775624 Type: Fiction Pages: 84 Copyright: Feb 25, 2005 Faleashia is a land of wonder and adventure, where dragons roam and the gods make war. It is a land where dwarves, elves, and orks fight amongst each other for power and survival. As they battle amongst themselves, however, a great power rises in the West. Karoth, the god of power, and Dagion, the god of rage, begin to control and manipulate Faleashia at will. To overcome such evil, the peoples of Faleashia must cast aside their ancient feuds and unite, or they will be engulfed in the corrupt gods' evil plans. Within these pages is recorded the tumultuous history of Faleashia. It is a history formed by the will of the gods, a unicorn and a dragon, and, most importantly, the bravery of the heros and heroines brave enough to face the danger. However, bravery alone will not be enough to change Faleashia's fate." Enchanted Forest Following the Apolica Sea to its southern shore Where waves lap the willow no more You shall see a most astonishing place Trees dominate rolling hills and a curious race. If traveling this elated forest by night Take notice of glowing balls of light While easy to pass this phenomenon as a firefly Do not fall prey to your mind’s eye lie For this is the kingdom of the pixie. A most beautiful forest, the Enchanted Forest Shunning evil and good finds rest Each pixie ready to defend its tree Small in stature, yet they are all might as can be. A waving green sea the wind blows Pixie and tree are one as it still grows But once one has fallen, the other ceases to live Life force from and to each they give For this is the blessed and cursed life of the pixie. For five hundred years Laonia guarded the willow Lush the trunk and branches did grow Never did evil fall upon her elegant tree Yet daily, from her lyre, came songs of adventure so sweetly. After many a long year, she left her post Venturing flight to the Apolican coast On one of these such journeys she saw a woodland elf And followed him, hoping adventure for herself For this is the desire of a pixie. Evil wondered into to the woods after Laonia left on her quest A gnome heard where an open tree rest Gnarled smile came for what he found As he circled the tree, his hairy knuckles drug the ground. Holding the trunk, he pulled with all might And continued to pull throughout the night Every pixie watched. Laonia they did not trouble to assist Finally the willow fell in early morning mist For this is the death of Laonia. Sweet Laonia, it was not their fashion to aid But instead, follow the covenant they made Each pixie guard his or her tree alone Reap whatever it is they have sown. They did not find it in their hearts to help in need Instead they watched as the willow did bleed Now you’re buried in the glade you planted Which shall always be your heroic bed. For this is the tragedy of the pixie.

One of a Kind Fantasy
Faleashia is a land fighting for survival as the god of power Karoth, later known as Darion the god of rage, works to manipulate the people of this world for his own purpose. The numerous races - elves, dwarves, dragons, goblins etc, have become isolated from each other and do not wish to become embroiled in what they view as another's problem. However in order to save their land and overcome the evil which has become rooted there and is rapidly growing they must unite. Together with guidance from their various gods the people of Faleashia will stand up to the powerful force which opposes them or face destruction and annihilation.

The story of `Faleashia' begins as a lovers' tale as we follow the mission of two elves whose son has been killed by the dragon god, Darion. They are intent on revenge and through their shared love they accomplish what they set out to do. This was a great start to `Faleashia' as we are immediately swept up into the very personal emotions of the characters involved while keeping the story uncomplicated at this point. A good base is set for latter parts of the tale because the world is created in the reader's mind and characters are gradually introduced along the way rather than having to memorise a whole list of names in one go like so many other books do. Eventually the focus moves from the small scale of two individuals to the problems facing the world as a whole.

`Faleashia' is written using a hybrid writing style, possessing qualities of both poetry and story-telling. I was impressed with this novel approach and could imagine myself sitting in a tavern somewhere listening to the melodious voice of a bard speaking the lyrical passages. My only criticism is that the story needs to be read in one sitting to fully appreciate it, however even though I am a reasonably fast reader it took me three sessions over a couple of days to read. I felt that a couple of the middle sections could have been excluded as they disrupted the flow and the few interesting lines contained in these areas might have been better placed in the other main passages of the story. It was wonderful though to read a fantasy story where extreme consideration has been given to every word, and except for these middle sections mentioned, only the most essential dialogue or scenes are included. I felt that the author has managed to create a well-written piece of literature which covers more ground than anything previously written.

My favourite part of `Faleeshia' is the last section - `Entrance of Evil' which goes back in time and tells how the gods created this land. The writing here was like something out of a legend and I particularly enjoyed how the gods were depicted with humanlike qualities but with many amazing powers. Tony Thomas brings interesting ideas and thoughts to the reader's attention, such as the way in which the pixies fail to look after one of their own because of their original agreement. He also demonstrates how we can all feel a lack of faith at times, be that an internal or external belief, but that there is always hope.

I enjoyed being plunged into this fantasy world which bears some resemblance to the world we live in - there are lessons to be learnt and ideas to consider. But the quality of writing is of a standard that `Faleeshia' provides excellent reading entertainment as well. I could not help but notice some similarities to `Lord of the Rings', but luckily the author manages to get away with it due to the completely different nature of the story.