Kylan Evenstar has been a mercenary with Evenstar Mercenaries for as long as he can remember. Raised by their Uncle Rusl, Kylan and his sister Lily, have lived a rough life with very little knowledge of their parents. While they know their parents are dead and buried, and have visited the grave, most of their lives have been spent training to be useful. Kylan can wield a sword, Lily is a Mage who is building up her magic. They work with Evenstar Mercenaries to help keep peace in the Kingdom of Baldoa. Kylan, however, is far more important than he might think. When it is discovered that his older uncle, Malachus, has done some pretty shady stuff that threatens not just Baldoa, but surrounding kingdoms and possibly their whole world, Rusl is forced to spill the beans and tell Kylan the history of his parentage and why his blood line is such a big deal. Filled with a large cast of characters, there are no shortage of folks to help Kylan and the Evenstar family fight to protect the kingdom.
The Trinity of Evil: Heroes of Courage is filled with elves, goddesses, shapeshifters, mages, and sacred artifacts that may or may not contain the power of a goddess thought to be safely imprisoned. While this is definitely the first book in the series, the set up isn’t unnecessarily pretentious or overly convoluted like to many fantasy novels can be. Charles Cleveland’s writing is fun because there is action around every corner, and while we are getting some explanations of how things in the Kingdom of Baldoa went haywire, the interactions between the mercenaries makes them feel like family members having real conversations, albeit in a fantasy setting where an insult might be to call someone a “Dastard.” While the book is over 400 pages, don’t let that scare you. The story is fun and the writing easy to read, so if you’re a fast reader, it’s not impossible to finish this one on a dedicated afternoon while it storms and rains outside.
For readers who enjoy fantasy, much of this story is going to feel like putting on a beloved sweatshirt. You’re going to notice some pretty familiar and fun archetypes. The Trinity of Evil: Heroes of Courage is a great book to act as a fun distraction, with the promise of more to come.
