Caprice Hokstad has a true genius for enveloping the reader in a whole new world, a world with cultures that are somewhat evocative of Earth, yet markedly different than anything we know. I love the way she designs a duality that pervades all elements of Byntar: two suns, two moons, two races of people; even twin brothers who should be reigning equally over the kingdom of Latoph, yet in a move reminiscent of Jacob and Esau, the younger has supplanted the elder twin. It is a study in contrasts between good and evil, the poor and rich, slave and master, dark and light. It is also a study in real unfailing love and baser, selfish emotions. Keedrina, a poor Itzi who suffers terrible tragedies, is taken under the wing of Duke Vahn, the elder twin who has only his small duchy to watch over since his brother Arx has grabbed the rest of the kingdom. Vahn has a house full of slaves, but think slavery in the Old Testament sense or even the ancient Greek and Roman sense. This is a key cultural difference in Byntar, one that serves well as allegory for the relationship between us and Jesus. Think Song of Solomon as the story line develops. The end product is a beautiful love story, an adventure, and a wonderfully inventive fantasy where relationships and the characters are the most important ingredients. There are moments of humor and some rather ugly scenes of betrayal and hard justice. It's well worth the read!

Caprice Hokstad has created an engaging fantasy that drives the reader through various situations. While J.R.R. Tolkien had his "fellowship" going from place to place, physically, Caprice takes the reader on a journey from one situation to an other, through one emotional trial to another. The maze is something that we, the readers, seem to see from above, yet we cannot see into the hearts of all the characters without getting down into the maze of emotions and situations themselves. Thus Caprice Hokstad pulls the reader both over and into a maze through which she drives them with the passion and action you'd expect from high fantasy...although she says it isn't.

David Brollier
author of THE 3RD COVENANT